The type of dance most associated with Rio’s Carnival is samba.
Samba is the defining musical and dance tradition of Rio de Janeiro’s famous Carnival parades. Performers dance to syncopated rhythms led by large percussion sections, while samba schools combine choreography, costumes, floats, singing, and theatrical storytelling in elaborate competitions.
Modern Rio samba developed from Afro-Brazilian musical and cultural traditions, especially within Black communities in Rio. Early samba-school activity emerged in the late 1920s; groups such as Estácio, Portela, and Mangueira helped establish the parade format recognized today. The first official samba-school contest took place in 1929.
Samba is not simply a single step pattern. It includes varied regional and performance styles, and Carnival presentations may involve thousands of participants moving through the Sambadrome. Other Brazilian rhythms appear during Carnival, but samba is the genre most strongly identified with Rio’s signature celebration.