London School of Samba – Join our classes

London School of Samba offers samba dance and samba drumming classes in London for complete beginners to performer level.

We parade every year at the Notting Hill Carnival  – join our classes in preparation for Carnival.

The London School of Samba Show Band will bring Rio Carnival to your party!  Our live drummers and dancers performs all over the UK and abroad at festivals, shows and parades.

Samba dance classes in London – Quadra Night!

The London School of Samba offers samba dance and samba drumming classes in London on a Sunday night. These classes are perfect for beginners and intermediate dance students wanting to learn Samba dance.

Our beginner-friendly samba drumming classes are a lot of fun. No musical experience is needed and this class gives you the opportunity to learn how to play authentic Rio Samba School drums.

Classes Located at WAC Centre Waterloo

All our samba dance and drumming classes are in central London. Public transport is straightforward as Waterloo Station is just around the corner. The classes start at 6 pm, and the address for the London School of Samba classes is the WAC Centre, 14 Baylis Rd, London SE1 7AA.

Book London School of Samba Classes

Samba Dance Classes

London School of Samba - fun dance classes for all levels

Our beginners Samba dance classes in London are perfect for anybody who wants to learn this exciting and fun dance class.

We have fantastic customer reviews for this class, and everyone mentions how good the teachers are.

Your samba teacher will break down each dance move in a fun way, making learning the basic samba steps easier.

It’s a fun friendly class and a great way to meet new friends and get samba fit!

Samba Drumming Classes

Our Samba drumming classes in London are great fun, and no musical experience is needed to join our classes.

We offer friendly, dedicated beginners’ samba drumming classes, and all you have to do is copy the instructor, so you don’t need to read music!

The teachers make it a fun class, and we have fantastic official google customer reviews for our beginners’ samba drumming classes.

Book the Samba Show Band

The London School of Samba Show Band will bring the excitement of the Rio carnival to your event!

Our spectacular samba dance show with live samba drummers will rock your party!
You can book the show band for carnivals, parades, festivals, parties, staff or team building events.

We have many customer reviews for the Show Band, and they all say it is the closest thing to Rio, without flying to Brazil!

Book the London School of Samba Show Band

The London School of Samba was established in 1984. With over 38 years of award-winning samba, we have performed to thousands of audiences, venues and events across the world.

Glastonbury festival, London Olympics + Millennium Dome Gigs

Here are just a few of the past gigs such as multiple New Years Day’s Parades in London, the John Peel Stage at Glastonbury Festival, and the Closing Ceremony of the London Olympics. How about the opening of the London Millennium Dome, and being flown to Hong Kong for the Chinese New Year Parade!

London School of Samba at the Notting Hill Carnival

The London School of Samba has a proud history with the Notting Hill Carnival. We were the first samba school to parade at Carnival back in 1984. We have paraded thirty-seven times over the years, making the London School of Samba the longest-serving Samba School in the history of the Notting Hill Carnival.

International Samba Festivals + TV Appearances

The London School of Samba Show Band has regularly performed at the largest Samba Festival outside of Brazil in Germany! Lots of Television appearances, Charity events, and many Outreach Community Projects to spread the love of Samba in the UK, Europe and beyond!

Book the Samba Show Band for your party or festival

Now is the time to contact us and get the ball rolling on organising your party!  The London School of Samba have loads of packages and offers when you want to book the show band.  Click here > book the London School of Samba Show Band.

Book Samba Dance Classes with London School of Samba

Beginners Dance – Level1

Level 1 is perfect if you are new to samba dance in London and want to learn the basic movements and steps. This class from the London School of Samba is about having fun and getting out of your comfort zone.

This Samba dance class is perfect for complete beginners.  We have fantastic customer reviews from people who have attended the class and fallen in love with dancing Samba!

Click here to > Book your place on the next available samba dance class

Intermediate Dance – Level2

If you have been dancing Samba for some time and want to improve, then the level 2 intermediate samba dance class in London is fantastic!
The class will focus on improving your technique, skill and stamina.

You will quickly learn to improve your hip movement, foot technique and how to parade and perform like a pro.   If you are looking to improve, then this class is perfect for you.

Click here to > Book your place on the next available samba dance class

Quadra – Everyone welcomed

On the last Sunday of the month, our live samba drummers (Bateria) and dancers join forces to bring the Rio Carnival experience to London!
This is a fun and high energy Rio style Samba dance class!

You will be dancing to the beat of our “live” drummers and dancers!   This class has fantastic Google customers reviews online and is a brilliant way to experience samba classes in London without flying to Rio!

Click here to > Book your place on the next available samba dance class  

History of the London School of Samba

L.S.S. will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2024

The London School of Samba first started back in April 1984. In 2024 the School will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in April 2024. It was the first samba school in the U.K.

It started from a nucleus of twelve drummers – many of whom were some of the leading Latin musicians in London: João Bosco de Oliveira, Alan Hayman, Pato & Carlos Fuentes, German Santana, Dave Pattman, Dawson Miller, Liliana Chachian, Dave Bitelli, Hilton Leite, Gerry Hunt and Neville Murray.

Bosco de Oliveira chose the colours of the School

João Bosco de Oliveira chose our colours of green & white in honour of G.R.E.S. Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel, who became the Madrinha of the LSS in 1984.

Mocidade performed with LSS in 1989

In 1989, Mocidade performed with the London School of Samba at the 3rd European Encontro on the Southbank in London. In 2009, they made another visit to take part in the 25th anniversary of the London School of Samba. L.S.S. are very proud to have Mocidade as Madrinha to our school.

First Samba School to Perform at Notting Hill Carnival

In August 1984, the London School of Samba were the first Samba School to appear at the Notting Hill Carnival. The first theme of the London School of Samba at Notting Hill Carnival was “Homage to Mocidade Samba School”.

We have paraded thirty-seven times over the years, making the London School of Samba the longest-serving Samba School in the history of the Notting Hill Carnival.

Godmother Samba School in the U.K.

The London School of Samba is known as Samba’s Madrinha (“Godmother”) in the U.K. In its first ten years, the School was instrumental in helping spread samba across England, Scotland & Wales, and notably into Ireland, where L.S.S. members helped form various samba groups.

At least 30 samba groups have been formed in the U.K. by current or former L.S.S. members. The School is also the Madrinha (Godmother School) to four groups: Bloco do Baliza (Madrid, Spain), Bandao (Poggibonsi, Italy), Bloco Maluco (Camberwell, U.K.) & Morro 16 (Dublin, Ireland).

The History of the London School of Samba

The London School of Samba did its first performance at Covent Garden Piazza on 1st April 1984. Within a short period, the number of players and performances had snowballed. Within a few years, the London School of Samba was the first samba group to perform at W.O.M.A.D.

First every European Samba Encontro Sweden 1986

The L.S.S. attended the 1st European Samba Encontro in Uppsala, Sweden, in 1986, and 2nd in Turku, Finland, in 1987. They played at the first U.K. samba encontro in Lincoln in 1990.

In Coburg, Germany, the International Samba Festival is the largest samba festival outside Brazil. The School has performed over fourteen times and is one of the year’s highlights.

Teaching samba in the U.K. since 1984

The London School of Samba has been teaching samba dance and samba drumming classes in the U.K. since 1984. We introduced samba directly to around 31,000 people through our open-access drum and dance workshops in London and across the country.

Our popular samba dance and samba drumming classes in London are on Sunday nights at the Waterloo Action Centre in London.

First Samba School to perform in North Africa + Hong Kong

In 2005, the L.S.S. became the first samba school to perform in North Africa when it played in Algeria. In 2011, it became the first samba school to perform in China when it played for the Chinese New year in Hong Kong.

Former members spreading Samba all over the world

Former L.S.S. members have also been instrumental in spreading samba into many different countries for the first time: in 2007, our former Musical Director Andy Marshall formed SambaMann in the Isle of Man; in 2010, another former Musical Director Erhan Arkhan was one of the founders of Sambistanbul in Istanbul, Turkey.

Back in 2010, one of our former members, Ricardo Alvarez, formed Sambaoabab in Dakar, Senegal; and in 2011, another former member Seyi Ajeigbe started the Eko Samba Community group in Nigeria.

In 2012, two former L.S.S. members, Caroline O’Dea and Michael Styliandes, formed the Bloco do Dublin in Ireland. In 2013, another ex-member Farhad Jowharsha formed a samba group in Hong Kong, China.

Finally, in 2014, one of our former Musical Directors, Aswani Hafez Hashim, formed Bloco Muleketu in Bali, Indonesia.

London School of Samba Charity Work

The London School of Samba has also worked extensively in support of charities in the U.K. and Brazil – notably through the Anglo-Brazilian Society and Task Brazil. We also supported the Associação Beneficiente São Martinho street children charity in Lapa, Rio de Janeiro, from 1994 to 2001.

Performed in 31 out of 32 London Boroughs

The London School of Samba is close to achieving a real milestone here in London. After nearly thirty years, we are now one borough away from playing or teaching in every borough of London!

L.S.S. did a school workshop in the London Borough of Havering in June 2014, so that means we are only one borough away from going all city!

The last remaining London Borough that the London School of Samba has not performed or taught in is the London Borough of Redbridge. Hopefully, soon after this pandemic, we can finally reach the goal of performing or teaching in every London Borough.

Contact the London School of Samba
  • Name*
    0
  • Email*a valid email address
    1
  • Your Message*
    2
  • Captchacopy the words
    3
  • 4