Brazilians can’t help but be good dancers. It’s in their blood.

Just ask Josi Lima, São Paulo, Brazil, junior.

Last night, she and Jana Corrêa, São Paulo, Brazil, sophomore, taught a samba and axé dance workshop. The workshop was one of seven Brazilian Week events, which are leading up to the Brazilian Student Association’s Carnaval party this Saturday. Association president, Terena Silva, Recife, Brazil, senior, started the dance workshop to familiarize people planning to attend the party with basic Brazilian dance steps. Silva said that though people enjoyed the energy of last year’s Carnaval, they wanted to be able to dance at it.

“Everyone was complaining that they didn’t know how to dance at the carnaval,” Silva said, “So we figured we would teach it.”

Energetic hosts Lima and Corrêa, transfer volleyball players from Brazil, and Rafael Demarco, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, senior, helped 30 participants learn basic dance steps to four dances.

We want to teach participants basic dance steps of songs that will be played at the Carnaval, said Demarco, treasurer and social chair of the association. We hope that they will enjoy that, he said.

The four steps were samba, the most popular dance; forro, a dance from northwestern Brazil, which means “for all;” axé, a southeastern Brazilian dance with Latin influences; and a funky Brazilian hip-hop. Jennifer Roach, Leawood senior and member of Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art club, decided to come to the workshop to prepare for the party.

“I went to the Carnaval last year and had a lot of fun,” she said, “but this year I wanted to learn more dances before I went.”

The hosts said they hoped everyone would try to dance at the Carnaval, but Roach said it was fun to watch even if you didn’t know the steps.

The Carnaval Party at Abe and Jake’s Landing, 8 E. Sixth St., draws people from all over the Midwest, Silva said. She said that about 100 tickets would be sold today for $12 at the Student Union Activities office.

Tonight, the movie “O Auto da Compadecida,” a Brazilian comedy, will be shown at 7 p.m. in 4008 Wescoe. Tomorrow, Brazilian Big Table, a weekly Brazilian Portuguese club will meet at 5 p.m. at the Hawks’ Nest.

Demarco said people could go to Carnaval on Saturday and have fun, no matter how they danced.