Forró, the partner dance from Northeastern Brazil, has built real footholds in US cities from New York to Los Angeles. Here is a verified map of the groups keeping it alive, and how to check before you travel.
Forró, the soulful, rhythmic partner dance from Northeastern Brazil, has firmly rooted itself in the United States. The scene here runs on community anchors, dedicated collectives and instructors who manage the social calendar, workshops, and live music, rather than on any single national organization.
Whether you’re a newcomer or a dancer tracking the national circuit, this guide maps the Forró hubs we could verify are currently active across the US, with a link to each group’s own page so you can confirm dates before you go.
New York City, NY: the national hub
New York has the most structured forró scene in the country. Forró New York was founded in 2017 by Rafael Piccolotto de Lima and runs weekly classes for all levels, private lessons, online courses, and social events, according to the organization’s own site. Follow the group on Instagram at @forronewyork. Across the East River in Long Island City, the Brazilian restaurant Beija-Flor hosts a weekly Sunday forró night with live music, one of the longer-running social dance nights in the city.
The West Coast circuit
West Coast forró tends to bridge into the wider Brazilian dance scene rather than stand alone. In the Bay Area, Forró For All California is the group behind the San Francisco International Forró Weekend, a multi-day festival with workshops and live bands. In Los Angeles, Forró in L.A., run by instructors Andrea Lopasso and Fábio Santana, teaches weekly classes and organizes monthly dance parties with live music. Further south, Sol Zouk & Forró, taught by Walter and Larissa at La Vie Dance Studios, anchors San Diego’s forró and zouk classes.
East Coast and Mid-Atlantic hubs
Forró D.C. runs regular classes and socials in the DMV area, including an annual Forró in the Park event, and is a regular stop for touring instructors. In Philadelphia, Philly Roda hosts a first-Sunday samba and choro gathering at the Black Squirrel Club with a house band, plus separate forró dance parties through the year.
Midwest and South
Forró Chicago keeps a steady calendar of classes and socials through the Midwest’s colder months. In Florida, Forró Florida produces FORROOTS, a touring festival the group bills as one of the largest forró events in the country, and posts regular class and social listings for the state.
Forró hubs across the US, at a glance
| Region | Group | What they run |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | Forró New York; Beija-Flor | Weekly classes, socials; Sunday forró nights with live music |
| Bay Area | Forró For All California | SF International Forró Weekend festival |
| Los Angeles | Forró in L.A. | Weekly classes, monthly dance parties |
| San Diego | Sol Zouk & Forró | Studio classes at La Vie Dance Studios |
| Washington, D.C. | Forró D.C. | Classes, socials, Forró in the Park |
| Philadelphia | Philly Roda | First-Sunday samba and choro gathering, forró parties |
| Chicago | Forró Chicago | Weekly classes and socials |
| Florida | Forró Florida | FORROOTS touring festival, statewide listings |
Table is Raw POV’s own summary, compiled from each group’s official site or Instagram, verified August 2026.
How to plan around this scene
Follow the accounts above and you’ll pick up word of touring instructors, most forró teachers travel between these cities to guest-teach workshops, which is how a scene this spread out stays connected. Instagram tends to be the showcase, but local Facebook groups (search “Forró [City Name]”) are often the faster source for last-minute venue changes and ticket links. If your city isn’t listed here, searching for “Brazilian Zouk” or “Samba de Gafieira” studios nearby is a reasonable next step: those studios frequently share instructors and students with the local forró scene. Whichever group you find, check its own page for the current schedule before making plans. Community-run calendars shift with the seasons, and a listing that was accurate when this guide was compiled can go stale within months.
New to the dance itself? Our guide to what forró is and how to take your first class covers the music, the basic step, and floor etiquette. If you’re north of the border, we also cover where to dance forró in Canada.
Frequently asked questions
Where is forró most established in the United States?
New York City has the most structured scene, anchored by Forró New York, founded in 2017, which runs weekly classes, private lessons, and social events for all levels.
Do I need a partner to attend a class?
No. Every group listed here teaches beginners without a partner requirement; partners typically rotate during class.
What’s the best way to find a forró night near me?
Follow the Instagram accounts of the nearest group listed here, and search local Facebook groups by city name, they’re usually the fastest source for schedule changes.
Is the US forró scene connected city to city?
Yes. Many instructors tour between the cities in this guide to lead workshops, which is part of why these local groups stay in touch with each other.
How current is this list?
The groups and links here were verified in August 2026. Because these are volunteer- and instructor-run communities, always confirm the current schedule on the group’s own page before traveling.
Sources and method
Each group listed is drawn from its own official website or verified Instagram account, checked in August 2026: Forró New York, Beija-Flor, Forró For All California, Forró in L.A., Sol Zouk & Forró, Forró D.C., Philly Roda, Forró Chicago, and Forró Florida. This revision replaced an earlier version of this article whose links pointed to broken search-redirect URLs rather than the groups’ real pages, and whose Miami and San Francisco listings could not be verified as currently active; both were replaced with groups we could confirm. The regional table is Raw POV’s own summary. No fact in this article has been estimated or invented.
📚 Part of our guide: Latin & Brazilian Dance in Canada
