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What urbankiz is and how it is danced

Urbankiz and its relation with kizomba

In recent years, kizomba has become one of the most popular rhythms in many parts of the world. While ir is true that this genre has gained great ground lately, there are many who think that it is too soft and gentle, so some choose faster and more cheerful musical styles. One of those options is the so-called urbankiz. 

If you consider that kizomba is too slow for you, you have the possibility to learn to dance urbankiz, which is considered a variant of kizomba that is already present at many events worldwide. 

 

Urbankiz and its relation with kizomba
This is a group of people dancing urbankiz

 

How could we define urbankiz? 

The urbankiz can be defined as a version of kizomba that stands out for mixing the African essence with other slightly more modern musical styles. It is thought that the name was first heard in Paris, France, which then caused quite a stir between lovers of this fabulous dance style. 

One of the key differences between urbankiz and kizomba as it was known is a group of technical details of one dance relative to the other. In the case of the kizomba, you are meeting with linear movement, a greater distance between the dancers and a greater emphasis on the arm movements. And as regards urbankiz, one of its greatest attractions is its lively rhythm. 

This dance is a fusion of the most electronic versions of kizomba (zouk and terraxa) with well-known urban styles such as rap and hip-hop. This mix of rhythms is what makes the dance happier and more lively from what one commonly imagines. In the same way, people have been introducing a few changes to the dance styles employed in classical kizomba. 

How to dance urbankiz? 

Urbankiz in Europe
This is a couple dancing urbankiz

One of the most impressive aspects of urbankiz is the separation of the couple during the dance. Many think that this detail does not make any sense, since one of the most enduring characteristics of kizomba is the sensuality wasted by two people who dance very close together. Why is this change taking place? What happens is that urbankiz is much more focused on other aspects such as the strength and the explosiveness appropriate for urban rhythms. 

Additional to that, this variant of kizomba includes various pauses, acrobatics, and very abrupt choreography switchs. This makes this style and the traditional one be quite different from each other, so faint that they do not seem to be linked in any way. 

Conclusions 

From the above, it can be concluded that urbankiz is a variant much more intended for those who want to try a more lively, cheerful, and picturesque style. It is only a matter of trying different rhythms until they find the most exciting and appropriate option for everyone. This is the reason why many artists and singers are always trying to create more new rhythms to choose from, which is very useful for those who are looking for new options.

The more mixes of genres are created, the more likely people are to find what they are looking for when dancing. 

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Karina Garcia
Karina Garcia
North America Director at SalsaGoogle
[email protected]

If you want to schedule an appointment with me:
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Karina Garcia
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International Salsa Magazine (ISM) is a monthly publication about Salsa activities around the world, that has been publishing since 2007. It is a world network of volunteers coordinated by ISM Magazine. We are working to strengthen all the events by working together.