Rebolation

This step dance is considered by many dancers as the Brazilian version of the Melbourne Shuffle and Hardstyle. Originally pronounced as reboleixon, the word was defined as simply the dance of electronic music.[2]

It is unknown which came first, but a similar type of dance that originated from Johannesburg, South Africa, called "stepping" or "skitting" began in 2006. Unlike Rebolation, it did not originate through video sharing websites, such as YouTube, although some dancers have posted videos on the website.

One of the most popular YouTube videos of Rebolation was uploaded in 2008 by Ralph Morente with 11 million views as of 2023, which shows a young man dancing afloat-like at a roof terrace.[3] The earliest YouTube video containing the dance was published July 15th, 2008.[4]

Furthermore, Brazilian dancers are said to have changed the name from Rebolation to Free Step after the reggae-influenced Axé music video Rebolation by Parangolé in 2009,[5] which was neither connected to electronic music, nor the rebolation dance community, and therefore considered to be tarnishing the name.[2]

When dancing rebolation, several steps are used, and the main move is to "walk" putting a foot forward and using the heel as a pivot point to turn the back foot backwards, while the front foot is turned inwards around the heel. The reverse movement is used when walking backwards. This, when properly performed, gives the impression that the dancer is somewhat sliding on the floor, and the loose movements of the hands create the impression that the dancer is not totally in control of the direction of movement.

With regards to clothing, the most prominent feature is perhaps the famous bell bottomed “shuffle pants” or phat pants with neon details, UV reflective tape or glitter, commonly used in the rave community, or light-up shoes, however, most rebolation dancers seem to wear casual street-style clothing with flat tennis shoes or sneakers, aiding the dancer in moving across the surface smoothly.[2]