Join us!
Train with us to become a Master of Social Dancing.
A new training is coming!
Welcome to a new kind of dance training — one where progress is collaborative, growth is tracked, and Brazilian Zouk becomes a full-bodied, shared adventure with developing the traits and skills of social dancing at its core.
Below you'll find the ESSENTIAL INFORMATION about our training. All details will be in the Player's Guide, a guidebook containing everything that there is to know about our new training system.
What's Gui Prada and the Masters of Social Dancing?
Masters of Social Dancing is a new immersive training designed by Gui Prada for Brazilian Zouk dancers ready to deepen their understanding of social dancing through working and developing:
- the Foundations - the elements that make our dance alive, that allow for partners to speak the same language and find attunement;
- the Movements - Brazilian Zouk's characteristic movements and dynamics, created by the combination of several foundations;
- the Skills - going beyond the Movements. It's how we modify and connect them, adapting to person, space, and music; and
- ultimately, the essential Traits of a social dancer.
This is not your typical workshop — it’s a full universe of exploration, blending technique learning with RPG-inspired game mechanics, character sheets, quests, and party-based learning.
This training is a love letter to social dancing and has what makes social dancing better in its core.
The 8 Traits
The Traits are the fundamental qualities that, when harmoniously integrated, transform a dance from mere movement and execution of a technique into a present, fun, and engaging experience.
The eight Traits have the experience of social dancing in mind. They are the culmination of Foundations, Movements, and Skills combined, serving as guiding stars, toward dances that feel safe, expressive, and mindfully connected.
It’s important to keep in mind - the Traits are not rigid standards. They’re dynamic aspects of the dance that invite continuous exploration and growth. They’re the threads that, when woven together, create dances that resonate deeply with both partners.
Here they are - in summary:
- COMFORT - How physically and emotionally safe the dance feels. The culmination of the development of the foundations and the increase in body awareness. It works the same for leaders and followers.
- MUSICALITY & VERSATILITY - How well the dancer expresses, embodies, and adapts movement to various musical styles, rhythms, tempos, and dynamics. There are differences between leader and follower.
- TECHNIQUE: FOOTWORK - reflects how reliably the dancer executes foundational patterns, adjusts to changes in tempo, spacing, their partner, and integrates variations while maintaining balance and flow.
- TECHNIQUE: BODY MOVEMENTS - The coordination and intentional use of undulations, isolations, torsions, and inclinations to support, enhance, and express movement beyond and with stepping and weight transfers.
- FLOORCRAFT - How well the dancer navigates and shares space with others. Refers to the overall use of the space available to dance, resulting on either traveling or staying.
- ADAPTABILITY - Perhaps the most important of Traits. How fluidly the dancer adjusts to their partners
- PRESENCE & PLAYFULNESS - How engaged, alive, and co-creative the dance feels. Refers to the dancer's engagement with their partner through eye contact, smiles, play and other forms of recognizing their partner while dancing.
- SMELL - How personal hygiene and scent influence the dance.
Detailed explanation of all Traits will be available in the Player's Guide, where we lay out everything about the training. The Guide will be available initially for those who sign up for the training.
Focus of the training
Masters of Social Dancing is focused on developing the essential Traits and Skills of a social dancer.
Each Chapter of the training is then structured around two core components:
1 - The Trial of Traits - This is where dancers reflect on and track their development across the 8 Traits. Each chapter includes three Trials of Traits — one at the beginning, one mid-training, and one at the end. After the final Trial, dancers who reach specific resonance milestones will be awarded Titles, recognizing their growth and embodiment of the Traits.
2 - Foundations, Movements, and Skills Training This is where the technical side comes to life. Dancers will build from solo and partnerwork foundations into fundamental Brazilian Zouk movements, exploring them through targeted skills like direction changes, modulation, and transitions. This training unfolds in two formats: group-wide instruction and focused practice time within each party.
Keep reading to learn all the details.
Chapter 1: Do you really know the basics?
Do you really? Like…really?
Chapter 1 will be focused on expanding Brazilian Zouk's basics to their maximum potential. We'll break them apart, build them back together, play with size, speed, and direction.
Through this training, we will develop our technique, sensitivity, and stretch our understanding of what's possible, bringing endless fun and joy to social dancing with what we already have and know.
In this weekend-long experience, you'll have the first taste of Masters of Social Dancing and its unique format.
The Trial of Traits and the Resonance Scale
Trial of Traits
The Trial of Traits is one of the most meaningful parts of Masters of Social Dancing — a chance to reflect, connect, and offer insight into how your dancing feels to others within the 8 Traits.
There will be 3 Trials of Traits over the weekend: one after the first Group Training, one at the end of the second day, and one at the end of the last day of training.
During each Trial, dancers step outside their Party and form small groups of three couples. Participants will:
- dance for 2 minutes with each partner in the opposite role,
- then take 2 minutes to offer feedback using the Resonance Scale (1–7) — marking your impressions directly on their partner's Character Sheet.
Every dance features a different song, style, and speed — offering fresh perspectives and variety.
The Trials of Traits are not about evaluation — they’re about mutual reflection, clarity, and tracking growth across the 8 Traits.
After each Trial, participants will return to their Parties to share and collect insights that will help guide their next steps.
The Resonance Scale
The Resonance Scale is not a measure of right or wrong — it’s a way to share how a dance felt and track progress with the Traits throughout the training.
In the Trial of Traits, each dancer offers insight to their partner by reflecting on how each Trait resonated in the dance they just shared on their Character Sheet. These reflections are not about correctness or performance, but about how clearly the intention of each Trait was felt, given, and received.
A strong “resonance” might feel like clarity, ease, fluidity, or inspiration. A lower resonance might reflect effort, tension, or disconnection — not as a failure, but as an invitation for awareness and exploration.
The Resonance Scale captures how clearly a Trait like Comfort, Musicality, or Adaptability was received and expressed. Each dancer offers feedback after a dance using a scale from 1 to 7, written directly on their partner’s Character Sheet.
In general:
1–2: Instability, disconnection — signals tension or lack of clarity
3–4: Consistent, present, and competent — the Trait is clearly felt
5–6: Expressive, intentional, inspiring — beyond execution, into artistry
7: Mastery — seamless, deeply attuned, and unforgettable
This scale invites insight, not judgment — a shared language to support growth, not to rank.
At the start of the training, dancers also self-assess each Trait — allowing them to compare their own perception with others' experiences and deepen self-awareness.
The Resonance Scale is here to guide, not grade — helping every dancer explore what truly makes a dance resonate.
The Player's Guide lays out in detail the Resonance Scale for each Trait, for leaders and followers.
Structure of the training - Foundations, Movements and Skills
Choose your Quest
Each dancer, individually or as a group, will choose a Quest.
The Quest is a goal to be pursued during the training and will inform the dancer's practice and what they focus on.
The Quests can be, among other things:
- Earn a Title,
- Improve in a specific Trait or set of Traits,
- Develop or improve a skill or set of skills,
- Help a friend earn a Title, improve a Trait, or develop a skill, or
- all of the above!
If you feel so bold, your Quest can be to help your entire party earn a certain Title.
Join a Party
At Masters of Social Dancing, dancers will be organized into Training Parties — three with 5 couples and one with 6. These parties will stay together throughout the weekend, forming your core team for learning, reflection, and practice.
Together, you’ll exchange insights, support one another’s growth, and pursue both individual and group Quests as part of this collaborative, RPG-inspired journey.
We highly encourage dancers to sign up as a group — it’s the best way to shape your own Party in advance. Group discounts are available for groups of four or more signing up together.
Start the Training - Foundations, Movements and Skills
At Masters of Social Dancing, the Foundations, Movements, and Skills training unfolds in two main formats: group learning and party-based practice.
GROUP TRAINING:
We begin by moving together as one. All Parties train side by side, following this sequence:
1 - Foundations training - we'll explore 1 or 2 Foundations using drills and exercises to sharpen solo and partnerwork technique;
2 - Movement training - the Movements are our Basics - Brazilian Zouk's Fundamental Patterns. We'll train their neutral execution, drawing from the Foundations we've just practiced;
3 - Skills training - Skills are the tools that transform and adapt each Movement. For every Movement, we’ll work on one or more of the following core Skills:
- Direction Change;
- Travel;
- Size Modulation;
- Speed Modulation; and
- Flavor.
We'll also explore stand-alone Skills that are not necessarily connected to a movement:
- Transitions;
- Use of Impulses;
- Use of Elasticity; and
- Embraces
Each Skill will be practiced within a set time frame. At the end of every segment, dancers will have space to reflect and log how much they were able to grasp, incorporate, and embody — using their Character Sheet.
TRAINING WITHIN THE PARTY:
After the group training, each Party will decide what to continue practicing, based on their reflections, progress, and chosen Quests.
For example:
- One Party might practice one of the Foundations and improve their Size Modulation.
- Another Party might focus on Transitions, combining multiple Skills into one sequence.
Parties may also choose to collaborate, support each other’s goals, and offer feedback.
This time is for deepening the work, building self-awareness, and growing together.
We'll follow the structure above on Saturday and Sunday. On Friday, we'll just have Group Training.
The Monitors
Acting like Dungeon Masters, the Monitors will be available to provide guidance and support during the Training Within the Parties.
Monitors are experienced social dancers, trained by Gui in the material of the weekend, and will be an essential part of our experience.
Each Party will have the help of at least one Monitor in addition to Gui's for the weekend.
The Titles
Titles are special recognitions awarded at the end of the training to dancers whose Traits reached key levels of resonance.
Each Title reflects a particular strength — whether it's musicality, floorcraft, adaptability, or presence — and celebrates how clearly that Trait was felt by others during the Trials of Traits.
Some dancers will focus on earning a specific Title as part of their Quest, while others may receive one as a reflection of their natural growth throughout the weekend.
Based on the content, all entry Titles are up for grabs in Chapter 1: Floor Traveler, Basics Bender, and Music Seeker.
Each of these Titles highlights a specific Trait that can be developed during the weekend: Floorcraft, Technique (Footwork + Body Movements), and Musicality.
If a participant’s Traits are high enough to be awarded with another titles, they shall receive such titles at the end of our training.
Details of all Titles are in the Player's Guide.
Earning a Title
To earn a Title, the dancer must reach specific thresholds in the Resonance Scale for each Trait.
For example:
Floor Traveler
- Floorcraft: 5+
- Footwork: 4.5+
- Adaptability: 4+
- Other traits: No less than 3
After each Trail of Traits, the final scores will be the simple average of their 3 Resonance Scale's numbers for each Trait given by the other dancers.
Titles are awarded based on the final numbers for each Trait of the third and last Trial of Traits.
The Calculation
The final numbers are averaged and then rounded using the following system:
- ending on .1 - .4 round to .5 (e.g., 3.3 → 3.5)
- ending on .6 - .9 round up (e.g. 3.6 → 4)
For example, if a dancer gets, 4, 4, and 3 in Musicality & Versatility, their average will be 3,6 - round up to 4.If a dancer gets 3, 3, and 4 in Musicality & Versatility, their average will be 3,3 - round to 3.5.
Who Should Attend
Masters of Social Dancing is open to Brazilian Zouk dancers of all levels — from passionate beginners to experienced social dancers.
However, this training is not suited for absolute beginners. To make the most of the experience, participants should already be familiar with the fundamentals of Brazilian Zouk, including basic steps, timing, and partner connection.
Location and Schedule
The schedule below can have minor alterations
LOCATION - Dance Loft on 14 (4618 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20011).
SCHEDULE
FRIDAY - August 1
8 - 8:15 pm - Training Introduction and Reminders
8:15 - 9:15 pm - First Group Training
9:15 - 10 pm - Trial of Traits practice and 1st Trial of Traits
10 pm - 1 am - Social
SATURDAY - August 2
12 - 2 pm - Group Training
2 - 3 pm - Training within the Parties
3 - 4 pm - Break
4 - 5:30 pm - Group Training
5:30 - 6:40 pm - Training within the Parties
6:40 - 7 pm - 2nd Trial of Traits
8:30 - 11:30 - Social
SUNDAY - August 3
12 - 1 pm - Q&A and Group Discussion
1 - 2:30 pm - Group Training
2:30 - 3:30 pm - Training within the Parties
3:30 - 4 pm - 3rd Trial of Traits and Titles Ceremony
Your facilitator
Gui Prada
Gui started his partner dance journey in 2004. In 2006 his intense training began at the Jaime Aroxa Dance Studio in Rio de Janeiro where he studied for 6 years, and since then dance has been in his life non-stop.
He trained in several partner dance modalities, including Bolero, Samba de Gafieira, Soltinho, Forró, Tango, and Brazilian Zouk, learning from remarkable teachers in Brazil who always took a multidisciplinary approach to teaching dance. Therefore, Gui developed an understanding of dance that goes beyond the specific techniques of each.
Over time, Gui focused on how to create and enhance comfort in the dance and use the basic steps to their maximum. In 2017, Gui moved to Washington DC, and started his career as a local and international Brazilian Zouk Instructor.
Over the years, Gui developed special workshops called “The Universe Behind the Hug”, Parts I and II, Finding Zouk, Embrace Zouk Weekender, Embrace Zouk Online, Partner Dancing through the Eyes of Non-Violent Communication, and the Leaders Intensive Training, which together toured 30+ cities around the US and the world. Today, Gui is based in Washington DC, US, developing the local community with regular, weekly, and progressive classes. He became a reference in the execution of clean, comfortable fundamentals and its understanding of close connection, both from a physical and mental perspective. Gui is also one of the regular instructors of Alex de Carvalho’s MAC program, where he teaches new instructors how to learn, talk about, and teach connection.