Brazilian Zouk Festival in Montreal
Dates & Key Information
ZEM Festival 2026 will take place from Friday, September 4th to Monday, September 7th, 2026. Mark your calendar for a full immersion in the world of Brazilian Zouk.
2 types of passes available:
Open level passes
Full passes
DISCOVER OUR ARTISTS
International Guest Artists
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Since moving to Florida (USA), Paulo & Luiza have brought Brazilian zouk to another level in North America, especially where they are currently based in Miami.
With a track record of:9x Brazilian Zouk Champions
4x World Champions - Zouk Teams division
Paulo & Luiza are renowned performers, choreographers and teachers. They are also the owners of Zouk United Dance school and the organizers of the Miami Beach Zouk Festival.
We can’t wait for them to bring their wonderful energy to ZEM Festival 2026!
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Although currently based in the United States, Rachel and Laura have been traveling around the world to share their love for Brazilian zouk!
Rachel is a recognized teacher, dancer and DJ in the Brazilian zouk community. Dancing since the age of 16, she has trained in various dance styles, spending notably 8 years at the Companhia de Dança Jaime Arôxa. She is also the organizer of several festivals:
Ramalho’s Zouk Festival in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
Berlin Lambada Festival in Berlin (Germany)
Dallas Zouk & Lambada Festival in Texas (USA)
Portugal Brazilian Zouk Festival in Lisbon (Portugal)
Rachel is known for her great sense of humor, her detailed explanations for leaders and her ability to work with dancers of different levels.
Laura also started dancing at the age of 16 and studied various styles, including classical ballet, jazz, contemporary, belly dance and street dance.
Her pedagogy is based on studies of psychoanalysis and body language. Laura is known for her detailed explanations for followers, often illustrated with anecdotes.
We can’t wait for them to share their beautiful energy with us at ZEM Festival 2026!
National Guest Artists
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Get ready to experience the energy and passion of Carla & Javi, the two dynamic forces behind Zouk Vancouver! Originally from Brazil, Carla brings her deep-rooted connection to Brazilian Zouk, while Javi, born in Chile, brings his diverse dance influences and smooth style. Together, they have cultivated a vibrant and inclusive Zouk community in Vancouver.
As MAC Certified instructors and experienced teachers, they have trained and taught hundreds of students both locally and as traveling artists, sharing their expertise and love for Brazilian Zouk everywhere they go. Their teaching is not only effective but also fun, making learning an enjoyable and engaging experience for dancers of all levels.
Known for their ability to break down technique in a way that makes it accessible to all dancers, Carla & Javi are passionate about helping students understand movement in a clear and effective way. They also prioritize connection and safety, both within the dance and the community, creating an environment where dancers feel comfortable, engaged, and inspired.
With diverse dance backgrounds spanning multiple styles, Carla & Javi bring a unique approach to Zouk, blending technique, creativity, and musicality. Their dedication has revitalized the Zouk scene in Vancouver, making it one of the most welcoming dance communities in Canada.
At ZEM Festival, they will share their passion through engaging workshops, social dancing, and their signature energy. Don’t miss the chance to learn, dance, and connect with Carla & Javi as they bring the spirit of Zouk Vancouver to the festival!
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Dance enthusiast since childhood, Josiane discovered in 2017 the enchanting world of Brazilian zouk, a dance that speaks to her heart. Not only does Brazilian zouk allow her to explore the beauty and subtilities of connection and letting go, but this dance also allows her to get to know herself better and flourish!
On his part, Sébastien, a sportive with a scientific mind, discovered Brazilian zouk in 2012 while casually strolling through Montreal's streets, proving that it's never too late to start dancing! Hi curiosity led him to explore different sub-styles of Brazilian zouk, notably R&B, that you'll most likely recognize in his dancing.
MAC-certified instructors since 2023, Josiane and Sébastien combine their experience in pedagogy and coaching to form a dynamic duo known for their clear, precise and progressive explanations, their capacity for rigorous and detailed observation, and their agility to adapt to students, brilliantly combining their scientific and intuitive touch.
Their goal: share their passion for Brazilian zouk with as many people as possible by creating an inclusive, safe, stimulating and fun learning environment! It's for that reason that they are investing for a 4th year in a row their time and energy in the organization of a Brazilian zouk festival in Montreal, where they invite zoukers from Montreal and surrounding communities to share an unforgettable weekend of learning, new encounters and discoveries and sharing. We hope you will be joining us!
Featured DJs
Performing live
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DJ Vitório is Brazilian and has taught dance for the past 18 years and has been DJing for the past 16 years. Brazilian zouk is his main music and dance style.
He has worked as a DJ in many of the main events and congresses of his birth city, Brasilia/DF, the capital of Brazil. He has also worked for events in various regions of Brazil and has some international experiences, such as ZoukMx (Mexico), Ibiza Zouk Festival (Spain), Canada Zouk Congress, ZEM Festival, and online, for I Heart Zouk Radio (IHZR) and at an event in Moscow (Russia).
Beyond his work as a DJ, he has also produced many Brazilian zouk remixes for the past 13 years. For this work, he has developed partnerships with recognized musical producers such as Paulo Mac and M&N Pro, among others.
He is currently also offering training for new and upcoming Brazilian zouk DJs and DJs working in other dance scenes.
His remixes and recorded sets can be listened to on three different social media platforms, as follows:
https://soundcloud.com/dj-vit;
https://www.mixcloud.com/DjVitorio
https://www.youtube.com/@djvitorio414
We hope you will all be able to (re)discover and/or enjoy DJ Vitório’s work at ZEM Festival!
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My immense love for music and dance has led me in this DJ journey since 2017. While first starting in the Brazilian zouk community in Ottawa, this beautiful adventure brought me to play not only for Brazilian zouk parties, but also many other social dancing styles in Ottawa.
In Canada, I've had the honour to play at events in Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, Kitchener, Calgary, and Vancouver. Internationally, I've played in New York, Washington, DC, Boston, Atlanta, Moscow, Ibiza, Barcelona, Playa del Carmen, Brasilia and São Paulo.
I cannot wait to return to the ZEM Festival in 2026 ❤️!!
In the meantime, you can listen to some of her sets on the following platforms:
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Passionate about music and the different dances of the world since always, DJ K-Litchy started Djing during the quiet days of pandemic isolation, transforming this period into an opportunity for musical creation.
Inspired by diverse styles such as reggaeton, house, Afro, R&B, and more recently, Brazilian zouk, he enjoys fusing genres to create unique and catchy vibes.
Having fallen under the spell of the Brazilian zouk community, he’s actively involved in the Montreal scene, playing at social events and delivering carefully curated sets to get dancers moving.
He is very happy to be back this year at ZEM Festival! And so are we!
Until then, you can listen to some of his sets here:
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DJ Caïpi is originally from Brazil and has a background as a piano/keyboard musician.
He discovered ballroom dancing in Brazil and especially Brazilian zouk after 2017. He studied different dance styles such as forró, sertanejo, kizomba, lambada, bachata, and WCS.
He began his DJ career in early 2024 directly as a bzouk DJ, but he has also played several other Latin rhythms such as: forró, samba, sertanejo and bachata.
He took a DJ course with DJ Vitório.
As a DJ, he has participated in several events in Quebec where he lives, including: Zouk o Fogo, St-Jean Weekend, Agarradin and Quebec Sensual, Bootcamp Zouk in Sherbrooke and has also participated in several events in Montreal including: La Onda, Ritmo do Abraço, ZEM Social and ZEM Festival. And we are lucky that he’s coming back this year!
Until then, we invite you to listen to some of his sets on Soundcloud:
Start Your Zouk Journey
Tickets for ZEM Festival 2026 are now on sale!
Book your spot today on DancePlace and get ready for an unforgettable Brazilian Zouk experience in Montreal.
Spots are limited—don’t wait!
We offer 2 types of passes to give you more options to choose from!
The Open level pass gives you access to open level workshops (9h in total) offered by both national & international artists, as well as the 3 socials (Friday, Saturday & Sunday)
The Full pass gives you access to inter-advanced workshops (6h in total) offered by international artists only, an additional 6h of open level workshops offered by both national & international artists, as well as the 3 socials (Friday, Saturday & Sunday)