New Hope Volunteers

Since 1998, More than 18000 happy volunteers


Music and Dance Project (Rio de Janeiro)

  • Teach any form of music and dance with a self-designed lesson plan
  • Work with local musicians and take home new Brazilian music or dance techniques
  • Live like a local through carefully-screened Brazilian homestays
  • Practice Portuguese while travelling around vivacious Brazil during your free time

How would you like to be immersed in the amazing music and dance culture in Brazil? Travel to Rio and volunteer to teach any form of music or dance! At the same time, learn music or dance art forms from the local artists. Rio is famous for its music and dance scene; its yearly Carnival is the epitome of the culture. Samba music and dance, considered to be the national genre of Brazil, has strong roots in Rio de Janeiro. Samba is at the heart of the Carnival, which attracts over 1 million people each year! New Hope works with local community centers or schools that implement music and dance programs. Volunteer in Brazil and have the opportunity to live like a Brazilian through the highly-spirited music and dance culture!

Volunteers’ Responsibilities

By volunteering in Brazil in the music and dance project, you will be working with local community centers or schools. Depending on your individual interests and skills, and the needs of the local staff, your daily activities involve, but are not limited to:

  • Teaching music or dance to the students
  • Playing musical instruments
  • Learning Brazilian music or dance
  • Have fun with the students and introduce them to new cultures
  • Work in a local radio station
  • Develop a lesson plan to teach the students

Volunteers are responsible for their own materials for the project.

How You Can Make a Difference

The music and dance program was launched upon realizing how music and dance helped to facilitate youth development. The art forms have successfully kept them away from harmful activities, since it provides the youths with a creative outlet. Learning music and dance not only exercises creativity and boosts confidence, but gives them responsibilities that impact them positively. Not only will you be able to inspire the youth, you will also be able to learn new forms of music and dance by the locals. Brazilians may come from various cultural backgrounds, but the love for music and dance runs strong through their veins. Most Brazilian youths are highly enthusiastic and more than keen to learn new forms of music and dance, so this is one program that you can definitely enjoy.

Skills and Qualifications

Volunteers must be at least 18 years old. Volunteers need to have a skill in either music or dance, in order to be able to teach the students well. Knowing how to play an instrument would be great, although it is not required to participate in this project. Volunteers without any knowledge of the Portugese language can still contribute effectively to the project. You should have a passion to teach and aspire to help your students. Volunteers should be good role models, flexible, patient, caring, creative, responsible and open-minded. Volunteers must also respect the locals and the host organizations, along with their rules and projects.

Project Location

Rio de Janerio is blessed with spectacular landscapes including the spectacular mountains and pristine beaches, but it's the energetic people and the pulsating culture that best epitomizes the city. Rio is also hosting the Soccer World Cup 2014 and the Summer Olympic games of 2016. In preparation of this, the city has seen vast improvement in communications facilities, transportation infrastructure and even the crime rate has gone down substantially. Another early phenomenon that Rio is very famous for is the Carnival, which draws over 2 million visitors to the city. During the festival, the streets come alive with incredible song, dance and merry-making! Our project takes place in Rocinha, the largest and one of the most developed favelas (shantytowns) in Brazil. Today, most of the houses in Rocinha have developed into an urbanized slum, with basic sanitation, plumbing and electricity in place. Facilities such as banks, pharmacies, bus lines and cable television in place.

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