Parading in the Sambadrome (1/2)

Parading in the Sambadrome (1/2)

OK, you´ve made your mind and you aren´t in Rio just for watch, you´re there also to play! So, you won´t stay just seeing the parede, you wanna JOIN the parade! Is it possible?

Yes, you can.

However....

Most samba schools sells costumes for tourists, and you can buy directly for the responsible of the sector you´ll join in the samba school (diretor de ala), or you can buy from a tour operator. 

And some samba schools may demand you to practice their lyrics. Each year each school has new lyrics, so even brazillians have to learn. People of the samba school must parade singing, otherwise the school will be punished with a smaller grade. It doesn´t mean you´ll have to learn portuguese, but at least you´ll have to pretend you know what you´re singing. At least, at least, try to memorize the chorus. 

More demanding samba schools not only will require you know the lyrics, but also you participate some rehearsals at their barracão, i.e., at their seat, in some community of Rio; eventually, at Cidade do Samba, or the Samba City, in Rio´s Seaport. If in a community, I strongly recommend you hire a tour operator; if in Samba City, it is quite better, because Rio´s Seaport is being refurbished for the Olympics, and it is very close to downtown. Those schools will provide you a more intense experience, but of course you would need a lot of days in Rio, which is not an option for most tourists.