How do i start a Forró community?

(Lessons learned by Daniel Rolfs)

  • Create an Instagram and Facebook page like “Forró Cityname” that way people can find you on Google. There are already quite a lot of Forrózeiros/as out there and they switch cities because of work, so they are very happy to find you.
  • Create a messenger Group (WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram) and invite everybody there who is seriously interested in joining your events
  • Put in the description of your Insta and Facebook page the info “write to info@youremailadress.com if you like to get added to our messenger group”. That way no spammers will join the group, but all people interested in your Forró events can.
  • In your chat group establish the rule of not posting “I cannot come today”. It demotivates all the others who would love to come.
  • For the beginning communicate a clear and rather short timeframe like from 8pm-10pm. That way people show up on time and if it’s nice you continue until 1am anyway.
  • Offer a regular beginner class where people can join and bring their friends. It should take place at least once a month on a regular date, and always at the same time. That way people can plan it into their calendar and even parents with children can manage once a month.
  • If you are not an advanced dancer yourself and you cannot continue teaching after a few beginner steps, ask other dancers of surrounding communities if they would like to teach. If they are all too far away reach out to https://www.instagram.com/rela_buxo/. They fly teachers all over the place and offer very fair conditions that even beginner communities with only 10 people can afford a teacher. As they travel from city to city you only have to pay for one way travel ticket for them. On the https://forrofederation.com/map/ you also find more teachers and communities with dancers around to ask. (Also send us a message to put your community on the map.)
  • Forró starts and grows with friendship. In the beginning that is especially important, so do not only dance but eat and drink together to get to know each other. That way people will be willing to join from much further away and they will be much more loyal.