Kizomba Classes
Being the sole company to popularize Kizomba, IM Kizomba became popular in Austin by bringing a dance that focused on a deeper connection with your dance partner and on feeling the music. We use a progressive curriculum that teaches you how to be aware of your partner, understand what the music is trying to tell you, and what type of connection is needed to feel like you and your partner are dancing as one. Inspired Movement is constantly traveling both nationally and internationally to bring you the most up to date Kizomba techniques while also making our own mark in the Kizomba world with its unique teaching style of focusing on feeling and connection rather than patterns. Check the calendar for our next Kizomba class or event.
Kizomba History
Kizomba music was born in Angola in the late 1970s beginning of the 1980s, evolving from traditional semba. On this basis, Kizomba music emerged as a more modern music genre with a sensual touch mixed with African rhythm. Unlike Semba, Kizomba music is characterised by a slower and usually very romantic rhythm. Given that Angola is a former Portuguese colony, Portuguese is the principal language spoken in Angola so most Kizomba songs are sung in Portuguese. However, early Kizomba songs were sung in Kimbundu and in other national languages of Angola.
Kizomba is an evolution of the traditional dances of Angola semba, however, it is evident that kizomba dance as we know it today evolved after the vogue of kizomba music. Since the 1950s, Angolan people used to dance semba. In the 1990s, when the actual kizomba music got more and more popular, Angolan semba dancers started to adapt their semba steps according to the tempo and flavour of the Kizomba beats.
At the beginning of its development, Africans were dancing semba, and other dances at a slower tempo according to the beat of the Kizomba music. Technically speaking, semba danced romantically to Kizomba music is the basis of the Kizomba dance.