Gui + Brenda - Brazilian Zouk dance - Hora Ki Bu Txiga

Years ago I told Minha Velha, Brenda Carvalho, that I believed that our relationship was ruled by what I called at the time the Theory of the Forest. You know one of those movie forests that people split up and find themselves together again after trying to find paths through the woods? That one. I told her I believed that we would go places, do, and try things, and in the end, we would get together to share all that, learn from each other, and do something together. I think I was right. In these 14 years of relationship, friendship, loveship, all the ships, 2/3 of it - or maybe more - we spent witnessing each other’s growth from a far. Throughout this time we kept coming back together - mostly virtually - for support, friendship, and someone to be fully open with about the struggles and the reasons to celebrate. Sometimes we would see each other in person only once a year, and some years not even that. Actually, when I think about it, I get amazed by how much of our time together was not really in person, but together in heart, mind, emails, and WhatsApp calls. When we would indeed see each other, it would be like time didn’t pass at all and time did pass a lot at the same time. New versions of ourselves were there, new knowledge, new experiences, and an everlasting admiration for the paths we took and how far we’ve gotten. I feel so very proud of Minha Velha. So much. Challenge after challenge she was able to overcome with love, curiosity, and knowledge through learning about herself and the other. When I think of her I feel a love that I cannot explain really well. It’s beyond the ones I can label. It’s detached, existing without a bound to something or to a condition. We decided to call it in Portuguese Alémor - a mix of the words beyond and love. Well, time did its things and here we are. After walks and walks through the woods, we found each other again and this time determined to create together. We rehearsed some with our Nonviolent Communication and Partner Dance course and I’m so excited to know what more we can do! Minha Velha, I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for us and the things we’ll be able to develop now with more presence and intention. Te alemo demais! Enjoy this very sweaty video recorded by my brother in Rio to celebrate meeting again dancing to a song that is so loved by us and reminds us of a time that we cherish deeply. The rebolation, the smiles, the silly, the boneca clap that almost worked, and the slow increase in sweat under the shirt, it’s all there.