How to Samba for Zumba

When doing samba during Zumba, I like to mix the Brazilian samba with ballroom samba.  more variety = more fun!  The Brazilian element is not so structured or technical and is open to creative interpretation, but the ballroom samba has a "correct way" to do it.  See the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__hJ7IFGSvg for a visual description.  And see "2 Princes" http://www.youtube.com/user/SheilaLebedenko#p/u/37/RF6wNEWCY3E for a demo of some samba moves in action.

basic Brazilian samba: 
timing = 1 a 2, 3 a 4 . . .  (3/4, 1/4, 1)
1) hips: Start with 2 hip bounces on each side. (settle right hip =1, neutral = a, settle right hip = 2 ; settle left hip = 3, neutral = a, settle left hip = 4)
2)Leave the opposite foot in front (with the heel up), but put your weight on the back foot.
3)Start to turn that opposite foot in, out, in out, with each hip bounce.  The whole leg will turn at the hip rotator; the knee and foot will always point in the same direction because the whole leg is turning as one unit. 
4)In between each set of hip bounces, you will make a quick jump to switch your feet (the one in front moves to the back and vice versa.)
5) optional: You could step with each count so that 1 a 2 = RLR; 3a4 = LRL

alternative basic Brazilian samba:
timing = 1 & a 2 & a . . . (1/2, 1/4, 1/4)
1) footwork:  Right, left, right; Left, right, left
2) footwork with timing: right = 1, left = &, right = a . . .
3) foot direction: forward, replace, together, forward, replace together
4) heel, hip rotator and hip bump movement: The forward step on whole counts "1" and "2" can be done on the heel.  Because you have a half count, you have time to twist your heel and whole leg from inside to outside.  As you are twisting it (move the whole leg as one unit- keep knee and toe in the same direction), put all your body weight onto your heel and bump that hip at the same time.  This is not a fast, sharp bump, but an oozey, milky one.  this is the part of the step where you take your time.  The more time you take, the more hip movement you will get.  Rob time from &a if you like.  Your hip will make about a 1/4 of a circle (right hip- clockwise) (left hip- counterclockwise) during each whole count.
5) adding arms:  only do so after you've mastered the first 4 parts.  As you twist your left foot/leg/hip toward your left side, you left arm comes down- as if to come closer to the hip/leg and squeeze the left side of the ribcage.  At the same time, the right arm is coming up, to open up the right side of the ribcage.  Remember from a previous lesson,  the hip works against the opposite ribcage.

Brazilian Axe step (the side to side step)
timing:  1 & a 2 & a
1) footwork: right, left right; left, right, left
2) footwork w/ timing: right = 1, left = &, right = a; left =2, right = &, left = a
3) foot direction:
  a)start with feet shoulder width apart. 
  b)right foot out to side (a couple of inches), replace left foot, right returns to starting position (a couple inches to the left); Left foot out to side, replace right foot, left foot returns to starting position (a couple inches to the right)
4) foot angle: 
   a) start with feet straight forward
   b) On whole numbers, foot and knee and whole leg 45 degree angle in toward the center
5) hip movement:  RLR, LRL.  On whole number counts (in bold),  put all your body weight onto onto that foot and hip bump up.  The whole number counts have more time, will be accented and have more hip movement than the &a counts.
6) Arm movements:  many choices:  you can swing them from side to side, do waterfall/hair comb arms or paint in front of you.

(Brazilian and Ballroom) Batucada step: (moves backward)
timing: 1 & a 2 & a
1) footwork: RLR, LRL
2) foot direction: Right foot front, replace left foot, right foot back; Left foot front, replace right foot, left foot back
3) foot angle, body weight and hip movement:  right foot front with 45 degree angle toward center.  ALL of body weight on right foot.  Push off of right foot until right foot can spring backward.  As you push off,  the right hip bumps up.  If you have time, you can twist your foot and leg toward neutral to make a part of a hip circle.
4)  The accent is on the front foot pushing off.  The other steps have smaller hip bump movements.

Botafogo step (from ballroom samba)(not in video):
timing = 1 a 2, 3 a 4 . . .
1) footwork:  R L R; L R L
2) Direction and body weight:
   a) Right foot diagonally across front (big step- ends on left side)
   b) Left foot goes to side of right foot (12-18 inches away)- Stay on ball of left foot- heel stays up.  Put all body weight on Left foot.
   c) Replace right foot straight under you.  Put body weight back on right foot.
   d) Repeat on other side.
3) hip/pelvic movement: 
   a)  As right foot crosses diagonally in front, pelvis sweeps up with an abdominal crunch.  When right foot lands, right knee bends to absorb shock and right hip softly bumps up.
   b)  As left foot goes out to side, left hip comes up.    Then there will be drama as the left hip comes back down to go into the pelvic sweep up for the next step to the other side.

Volta (from ballroom samba)
timing - a 1 a 2 a 1 a 2 . . .
footwork:  L R L R L R
direction and body weight:  Start standing on the left foot.  Cross the right front in front and end a few inches to the left of the left foot. Place all your weight on the right foot. Then keep your weight on the right foot as you move the left foot 6-12 inches to the left and finally, place on your weight on the left.  Repeat.  Then try the other side.
hips:  Make counterclockwise hip circles as you move to the left across the floor.  Use you right foot and hip to push off as you move your left foot left.  When your left foot hits the floor, squeeze your left inner thigh to pull you right foot across again.

Whisk (from ballroom samba)
timing - 1 a 2, 3 a 4 . . .
1)footwork - R L R, L R L
2)Direction and weight: 
   a)move right to the right and put all your weight on it.
   b)move left foot in back of right foot; put all weight on left foot.
   c)Replace right foot a couple inches to the left.  Put all weight on right foot.
3) Hips/pelvis movement
   a) Big Hip slide to the right on a)  At the same time, raise left heel and push off with left ball of foot.
   b) Little hip slide to the left on b)
   c) Little hip slide to the right on c), but then deepen hip slide as you use you right foot and right hip push off to the left to start over on other side.