Balão

Balão means balloon in Portuguese. It is the name for the main type of head movement used in Brazilian Zouk.

“Head Movement” is a misleading term, because the head is not moving. Balão is a passive head movement, meaning that the neck and head and not actively moving. The movement starts by pushing the floor and breathing in, preparing the chest in the opposite direction of the desired movement (in this case, prepare left to start the balão clockwise.

The legs: In balão, the legs are usually parallel (second toe pointing straight forward). Make sure the knees track over the toes as you relax the knees, this means engaging the inner thighs. The feet are hip-distance (no wider than the shoulders). The legs are continuously softening and then actively pushing the floor in balão. The weight is on the whole foot.

The hips: The hips need to stay in neutral (neutral pelvic tilt), and stay square (the hip bones stay in one line next to each other). The tail bone should stay pointing down. The hips are not moving during head movement; we need to stabilize them using our core.

The core: The core needs to be super active during balão to protect the lower back. Most of us have the tendency to move our pelvis (hips) during balao, contracting the lower back because it gives us the illusion of a greater range of motion. However, the can, over time, cause tension and a buildup of pressure on the lower back and should be avoided by engaging the core to keep the pelvis in neutral.

The chest: Is moving circularly around the axis of the body in balão. The movement should be equal all the way around; it should be even and at the same angle all the way around.

The neck: Is as relaxed as possible. We want to keep an extension through the neck to avoid collapsing, especially to the back. In the back we can lift and length the neck, but without tension.

The head: Doesn’t move at all. The only thing we need to keep in mind is to keep the head aligned. When we relax the head to the sides, our nose should point straight forwards. When we relax the head forwards and lengthen upwards (back), the nose should pass the midline of the body.