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Passinho: The dance that unites Rio's youth and inspires the world
Coming out of Rio de Janeiro's favelas to global fame, Passinho is more than just a dance – it's a cultural movement. Discover how this street-born style became a symbol of resistance and unity.
Passinho was created in the 2000s in the alleys of Rio de Janeiro's favelas by youth who carved out its foundations barefoot on the dance floors of illegal Baile Funk parties. Read on to learn everything you need to know about the energetic Brazilian dance style.
01
Passinho: from the favelas to the global stage
Since the early days, the street-born genre has spread out from the sprawling city to become a global phenomenon. Passinho dancers have gained viral fame, performing at major events like the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games and in the BBC's official video montage for the 2014 World Cup, in which The New York Times dubbed the once-criminalised music genre of funk as the 'soundtrack of Rio'.
Pop icons have embraced the style, too. Beyoncé showcased Passinho moves in her 2013 Rock in Rio performance, while Ricky Martin featured the Dream Team doing Passinho in his 2014 tour. Even Snoop Dogg uploaded a video of him and his grandson dancing to Passinho by Brazilian DJ Zef.
In 2022, Passinho dancer André Oliveira DB electrified Red Bull Dance Your Style Brazil when the style debuted. Fast-forward to the present and Passinho has been officially recognised by state law as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Rio de Janeiro – a milestone that honours the dance's rich cultural expression and the unbreakable spirit of the favelas.
Andre DB took Passinho to the Red Bull Dance Your Style stage
© Marcos Serra Lima/Red Bull Content Pool
But the story of Passinho, from its creation to its meteoric rise, took many difficult turns and controversies before reaching its happy ending.
02
A cultural movement: fame, recognition and challenges
Passinho isn't just a dance – it's a resistance movement and a voice for inner-city artists, the working class and the have-nots.
Baile funk emerged in Rio de Janeiro's favelas in the 1970s as a fusion of Afro-Brazilian rhythms, U.S. Black Power influences, Miami bass and more. Pioneered by DJs like Big Boy and Ademir Lemos, sweat-soaked parties celebrated Afro-Brazilian pride.
By the '90s, funk was blasting from boomboxes, dominating radio and taking over TV. However, its success sparked backlash. Police tied the scene to radical movements and like hip-hop, where lyrics reflected harsh social realities, funk's raw storytelling was dismissed as 'noise' or 'vulgar' and criminalised.
An evening jam at Manguinhos skate park
© Marcos Serra Lima/Red Bull Content Pool
This move echoed the 1930s when samba dancers – labelled as outcasts – were harassed and arrested. Decades later, funk artists and the Passinho dancers faced the same stigma, seen as drug dealers or thugs – not because they were, but simply because they were artists from the favelas.
Underground, the Passinho and Baile Funk movement thrived as a positive, creative outlet for talented youth and an alternative to violence. The dance became both a protest against the criminalisation of the music and a powerful expression of freedom, joy and the love story deeply tied to the genre.
03
Passinho as a form of resistance and social change
Kids who were once armed or drawn to crime were now dancing instead. More than that, Passinho became a bridge between rival gangs, allowing dancers a rite of passage into areas that would have once been too dangerous to enter.
Like every street-born genre, moves were traded in battles at those same parties, especially at historic spots like the Manguinhos Skate Plaza in Rio's North Zone, where rising talents and Passinho pioneers built their reputations battling in informal rodas (circles) – and still do today.
Baianinho is a legend in the Passinho scene
© Marcos Serra Lima/Red Bull Content Pool
As the grassroots movement gained traction, dancers built reputations on internet forums. Legends like Baianinhoo uploaded a two-minute clip that racked up 60,000 views while babysitting his sisters. But it was a group of friends – originally filming for fun – who sparked Passinho's breakout moment. Their backyard clip, Beiçola the Passinho Foda, went viral, amassing over five million views and catapulting the dance style to global recognition.
04
The evolution of passinho style and technique
Passinho is driven by tambor drum beats, a fusion of samba, breaking, frevo, capoeira, afro and funk, evolving to integrate influences as dynamic as vogue. Its name translates to 'little step' and is defined by staccato waist twists, intricate footwork and ballet-like moves high on, or over, the toes.
Four signature steps shape Passinho: Sabará (named after the first Passinho MC), Rabiscada (where your foot mimics a matchstick striking the floor) and intricate criss-crossing moves like the Cruzada and Embolada.
Many Passinho dancers warm-up or practice barefoot as a way to connect to the floor, the earth and their ancestors. Some stylise their movement by focusing their eyes down on their feet.
Andre DB trains in the streets
© Marcos Serra Lima/Red Bull Content Pool
Red Bull Dance Your Style Brasil champion André DB reflects: "We often get hurt practising Passinho. I used to train in the street, I never had a proper space for it. We hurt our toes, but that's the desire to dance. If you don't bleed, it's not Passinho. You have to bleed."
When it comes to bloodshed for Passinho, the most heartbreaking account took place in 2012 when Gambá, the 'King of Passinho', was murdered at the height of his dance career. Mistaken for a trouble-making teen by two security guards, his life was tragically cut short. Gambá was rising fast in the community, driven by his passion for making people smile and entertain through dance. His death hit the Passinho community hard, but those who knew him vowed to keep dancing in his honour, immortalising him through the choreography he contributed to the movement.
His peers believe Gambá left his legacy to inspire others to create theirs.
05
Remembering the pioneers: legacy and loss
Among Passinho's original influencers is Pablinho Fantástico, a singer and choreographer with 700,000 followers affectionately known as the 'Cristiano Ronaldo of Passinho'. There are many others like Cebolinha, another influential 'Relic' who starred in the first Passinho documentary alongside Gambá – though Gambá never lived to see its release.
Pablinho Fantastico was at judge at Red Bull Rabiscada
© Fabio Piva/Red Bull Content Pool
These dancers are known as 'The Relics': the greats and legendary first-generation elders revered as Passinho pioneers who paved the way for new talent. Despite their pivotal roles in shaping Passinho, many early dancers haven't found the same success as those thriving today.
Cebolinha reflects: "I wish I'd been born later. I'd give up my Relic title to be doing what the new generation is doing now. I sacrificed a lot for this culture. When I was battling, I used my own money – I paid the judges, I paid the DJ."
Some call Baianinho the Michael Jackson of Passinho
© Marcos Serra Lima/Red Bull Content Pool
Baianinho, often called Passinho's Michael Jackson, shares a similar sentiment: 'Today, I don't have this super wonderful life, right? I gained nothing from Passinho except fame as a spectacular dancer. I think that if they'd regarded me more highly back then, maybe I'd still be dancing today, but I believe the new generation's role can't be ignored. Today, in this setting, you can become an icon. Everything evolves, why can't Passinho evolve too? This culture isn't just mine; it's ours."
The Relics are passing the torch, handing down their signature moves and combinations to select dancers and rising Passinho stars. But the evolution doesn't stop there.
06
The future of passinho: keeping the culture alive
Until 2015, Passinho was a heavily male-dominated scene. That changed thanks to dancers like Vitorinha – a trailblazer and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. Her fearless presence in battles, going toe-to-toe with male dancers, earned her respect and inspired a wave of young women to step up, join practices and feel welcome in the community.
Vitorinha is a strong voice for the LGBTQ community
© Marcos Serra Lima / Red Bull Content Pool
Severo, a legendary dancer, MC and producer – and one of the leaders of Imperadores de Dança – eflects on Passinho's raw, untamable energy: "To be mainstream, you have to go underground. Manguinhos is where Passinho's roots are strongest and what's happening here today is what reverberates around the world."
But as Baile Funk and Passinho continue to grow globally, there's a risk of erasing its roots. Vitorinha warns: "The new wave of dancers must represent and keep Passinho alive. You can't just watch TikTok videos or take a few classes and call yourself a Passinho Foda dancer."
The new wave of dancers must represent and keep Passinho alive
Passinho has opened doors for many, including top talent André DB. "Passinho gave me everything," he beams. But while he's gaining fans, he admits opportunities remain scarce. Living in the favelas, he lacks the connections to land commercial gigs or music video roles. Instead, dancers from wealthier backgrounds or imitating the style often come along and sweep up the jobs.
Vitorinha acknowledges that Passinho has given her a path to a better life, but not everyone is so fortunate.
The rap star, skateboarder, and Passinho legend L7NNON put it bluntly: "Passinho kids have a million reasons to not dance, to do something else like turn to crime instead. So, if they're focusing on dance, it's because they love it."
There's no doubt Red Bull Dance Your Style is amplifying Passinho by putting the style on the world stage and elevating opportunities for dancers while the favelas continue fostering the culture at home.
Find out more about Passinho in Uncredited: The Story of Passinho on Netflix.
