Dancers are dusting off their feathers for the Australasian Samba Queen Competition, to be held on the Sunshine Coast.
More than 50 dancers are set to compete in the seventh edition of the annual event, which will be hosted by Australia’s first ever Rio Carnival muse Mishel Finlayson and world samba queen Sasha Flint.
Ms Finlayson, the director of South-East Queensland Brazilian dance company Sambaliscious, said competitors had worked hard to get ready for the competition.
“Dancers spend 12 to 24 months preparing for this annual event, including weekly strength and conditioning training, technique classes, samba endurance and, most challengingly, learning to perform in 12cm heels and 15kg back pieces,” she said.
The event is set to showcase authentic Brazilian samba to Australian audiences, with the Sunshine Coast’s beach backdrop echoing the tropical vibe of Rio.
“Maybe it will even inspire people to come on the Sambaliscious Rio Carnival tour and dance in the famous parade with us,” she said.
Dancers will compete in professional and semi-professional solo and group categories in vibrant Carnival-style costumes, accompanied by live Brazilian drumming, at the Coolum Civic Centre from Friday, October 27, to Sunday, October 29.
Professional samba instructors will judge the dancers, with the victorious queen becoming the Oceania representative of samba for the following year.
The event will also include 10 workshops, with some of the best instructors in the world who have flown directly from Brazil to be part of the cultural immersion.
“It’s the next best thing to being in Rio for Carnival,” Ms Finlayson said.
Tickets are $45 at the door.
