Conexão is a Brussels-based Forró school built around learning, social dancing, and a strong sense of community.
Sarah Collings founded the school in 2014 and continues to oversee and guide it, together with a wider team of teachers and assistants.
The schoolMeet the people shaping Conexão in Brussels.
The one thing that can solve most of our problems is dancing.
James Brown
Sarah and the School
Sarah Collings
Sarah fell in love with forró while living in Milan and she hasn’t looked back since. Building on her experience in sports and language education, Sarah launched and started to teach forró classes in Brussels in 2014. She continues to oversee and guide the school, while also travelling across Europe and occasionally beyond to teach at workshops and festivals. She is also one of the founders of the Be Forró association in Brussels, working to serve the growing forró community in the city.
Sarah's belief that a teacher should be forever an enthusiastic student has led her to study with many teachers and dancers, both within forró and beyond (samba de gafieira, tango, body percussion, and more…) In particular, her initial work and partnership with Ricardo Ambrózio shaped her vision of forró, and more recent studies with Sheila Santos have significantly enriched her approach and methodology. Beyond these two crucial influences, Sarah has been privileged to be able to teach and study with many other talented teachers which has broadened her horizons and skills as both leader and follower.
This desire to learn and share her knowledge also resulted in the creation of the Encontro Pedagogico in 2017 in collaboration with Emilie Gasia. This is an annual meeting of forró teachers to collaboratively discuss and enhance the quality of their work. In parallel Sarah has created the Projeto Monitores to develop assistants and future teachers here in Brussels.
Sarah's classes emphasise the importance of presence, connection with our partner and musicality. Musicality has in fact been one of the focal points in her teaching and research for many years now and has become one of the most requested topics from festival and workshop organisers. In the classroom, she also prides herself on (trying to!) achieve that oh-so-delicate balance between technique and creativity, precision and freedom, focus and fun.
I don’t want people who want to dance, I want people who have to dance.
Anaya's warm smile is often the first thing you'll notice when you walk into a Conexão class or party — and it sets the tone. Caring and attentive, she has a gift for making everyone feel welcome and at home on the forró dance floor, whether it's your first steps or your hundredth festival.
Anaya joined the team in December 2024 and has quickly become one of its quiet engines. Behind the scenes, she looks after communication and coordination, keeping Conexão running smoothly so the rest of us can focus on what matters most: dancing!
The best way to get to know Andrés is to invite him to dance! One of the most generous dancers around, he's the first to open the dance floor and the last to leave it.
Andrés started dancing forró in 2017, and quickly proved himself a dedicated and curious leader. One of his strongest skills is connection, opening up lots of space for creativity and playfulness on the dance floor. In the classroom, he is laid-back but highly observant, analysing what's going on and providing support wherever necessary.
Charlotte is all about the feeling. Her style of dancing values presence and connection, with a touch of playfulness. Highly committed, she studies hard as both a leader and follower. More recently, she has also put on an organiser hat to keep forró parties rolling in Brussels.
Charlotte's kindness and patience is appreciated in the classroom. She puts students at ease and brings an embodied softness to the space.
Emma dances with both sides of the embrace in mind. She leads with real sensitivity to her follower and is an equally excellent follower herself — a combination that gives her dancing a rich, well-rounded quality.
Curious by nature, Emma loves digging into the different components of the dance: exploring movement subtleties, developing body awareness and promoting forró's cultural roots. This depth shines through in the classroom, where she's calm, thoughtful, and skilled at building clear teaching flows. When Emma speaks, it's worth listening — her contributions are always full of value.
Giulia radiates positivity and warmth, making her one of the sunniest and most uplifting people in the forró community. Her playful and dynamic dance style is all about embracing joy and creating a fun connection with her partners.
As a teacher, Giulia is patient and encouraging, fostering an environment where students feel empowered to explore and grow. Beyond the dance floor, she brings her vibrant energy to the stage as the triangle player in the band "Forró na Chinela," adding sparkle and rhythm to their performances.
Marco Care Team
Smooth, calm, connected: that's Marco on the dance floor. He lets the music breathe and takes his partner along for the ride — every dance with him feels unhurried and full of intention.
Technically strong by nature, Marco has added a discrete playfulness to his dancing over the years, creating space for creativity to emerge in every moment. He joined the teaching team in October 2025, bringing with him a great eye for analysis. Supportive, dedicated, and quietly encouraging, Marco will work hard to help every student take a step forward in each class.
Everything Patrick does is clean and precise, providing maximum opportunity to connect with his partner. He's the embodiment of quality over quantity.
He started dancing forró in 2018, bringing his background in salsa, bachata and other dance styles with him. If you fancy a philosophical conversation on couple dancing? Patrick is your guy! And in the classroom, he is exceptionally patient, drawing on his diverse dance experiences to clearly communicate the details with a touch of humour.
Simon discovered forró in 2018 in Toulouse and dived straight in, immersing himself in the dance, the music, and the community.
He loves the challenge of breaking down new moves and then practises diligently which creates his signature smooth dance style, whether he's turning universitário-style or exploring the intricacies of roots footwork. In the classroom, he is passionate, detailed-oriented, and untiring - keen to contribute to each student's learning as best he can.
Vero is a creative and versatile dancer who constantly draws inspiration from a variety of dance styles, adding depth and uniqueness to her forró. Her approach to dancing emphasizes fluidity and self-expression, making every moment on the dance floor engaging and memorable.
In her teaching, Vero focuses on helping students enhance their technique and bring comfort and confidence to their dancing. Her thoughtful guidance and eye for detail ensure that students leave her classes feeling both accomplished and inspired to keep improving.
