SambaFunk! w/ King Theo

Had attended a couple classes before I started going consistently a little over two months ago. Had the opportunity to perform in my first Carnival in San Francisco and it was one of the highlights of my life! Everyone was so supportive of the «freshman class» and soooo encouraging! Heck, within the last two months I’ve even lost 7 pounds!!! I highly recommend this class to anyone who wants to give Samba a try but don’t blame me if becomes something ya can’t stop doing! Big ups to Samba Funk and King Theo!

It was a fun class. Lots of energy and sweat. I would go back again.

Samba Funk is an amazing samba and Carnaval experience. I decided last year that I wanted to dance in the Carnaval parade and did some research and decided to try attending Samba Funk classes. I’m so happy I did — what an encouraging and unique dance school experience for someone who is a total dance beginner!
Samba Funk is truly a beautiful, inclusive, incredibly diverse family of black, people of color, and white dancers with a strong commitment to the African, Afro Brazilian, Afro Caribbean, Black, and Oakland roots of the samba funk dance experience! I always have a ton of fun, sweat like crazy, learn new histories, and leave smiling and happy. The live drumming is the highlight and samba dance is no joke… It’s a legit fast paced workout.
Thank you King Theo for your infectious energia total and pushing all of us to be our best selves!

Five stars and a few words are not enough to express how positively I feel about Sambafunk and King Theo. Sunday class at the Malonga Center is an amazing dance experience for body and soul with live drumming and a community of positive artists of all stripes and colors who lift each other to greater heights. I feel the vibrations from this class in my body and soul for days afterward. I’ve gone to Sunday class for years and to Wednesday nights at Destiny whenever I can. SambaFunk has lifted me up when I was low and given me more joy than I thought possible. Do yourself a favor and don’t miss the experience.

Best dance class I’ve ever taken.

SambaFunk… words can’t explain the experience that I had on Sunday 4÷12÷2015 when I went for my very first time!!! I love to dance I love to party… but this… they took it to a whole ‘nother level!!! I’m all in… definitely a fun way to lose weight!!! Thanks Theo!!! –Jonathan (Jojo) LaBrae

Simply the best. Great people. Great workout. There is nowhere I would rather be than with SambaFunk!

SO MUCH FUN!!! Today was my first time trying the class and it was a blast. There is such a friendly, positive attitude from Theo and all the dancers there. The live drumming takes everything up a notch. You feel it deep down in your soul! I’m definitely planning to go again.
I appreciated how new students are made to feel welcome at Samba Funk. I had taken some samba classes previously, and it really came in handy. We didn’t take time to go over the basic samba steps, but I found other students helping each other out and there is no judgment even if you are still figuring it out, only good vibes.

What brings me back. hmmmmmm… The Vision of growth within the SambaFunk Community, The Passion for drums and dance, the respect and the Love for one another, the family we have become. but most important the freedom for creativity, to be able to express my creative thoughts and ideas, whatever they may be, and share them with you all in the form of a drum beat to bring a smile in each and everyone of you, and if you’ve learned something from me as small or big as that may be, even better… SambaFunk is full of creative minds, bring them all together, learn from each other and the possibilities are endless… Share the same vision and take action, because «Vision without action is just a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. BUT Vision with action can change the world.»

Samba Funk is AMAZING! I’ve known about them for years and have seen them perform but had never danced with them until recently. Theo is a great teacher with a very positive energy. The class is fun and will make you sweat, sweat, sweat! There’s live drumming on Sundays at the Malonga Center in Oakland which really adds to the class. The dancers are also very welcoming and eager to help with any questions. There’s a real sense of a tight-​knit community with people from all backgrounds with positive energy. At $ 12 a class, it’s a steal, I highly recommend Samba Funk!

What a wonderful explosion of dance, culture, energy and community!
Sunday classes are one big party, and if you’re new it’s fun to go and be welcomed by the group and be inspired by Theo, the amazing diversity of dancers, and the live drums! On Sundays you are thrown into the choreography without a lot of guidance, so just go with it and you’ll be fine. It also gets super hot in Malonga, so bring a water bottle and be prepared to SWEAT!
If you’re interested in breaking down the choreography, I would also highly recommend Tuesday (in SF) and Wednesday (in Oakland) classes. The groups are smaller, you get to see Theo up-​close, and there is a lot of break-​down and drilling the choreography.
I highly recommend experiencing the FUNK! :-)

Amazing. What else can be said? A few weeks ago, us folks down in Long Beach had the pleasure of experiencing Sambafunk!
They gave us a wonderful performance and entertainment during a monthly artwalk. I got so excited when I heard them coming down the street, I ran out of the store I was in to make sure I didn’t miss it. Thankfully, they stayed and got down for at least an hour. The best part was when they came and got us onlookers to dance with them. We had a big ol’ street party! All of the dancers were nice and engaging.
I really hope they can offer classes here, I would definitely take them. Please come back! !!!

Theo is an AMAZING dancer and his teaching style is so warm and inclusive.
The Bay Area is lucky to have him!!!

Get your sweat on in the most fun way… by shakin’ yo booty!!!
Warm, welcoming, diverse, all-​loving and encouraging group.
Fantastic value both in community connectedness and $ 12 for 2 hours!

as a world dance educator and performer Samba Funk exudes the very values I have spent my life teaching children and college and adult students… depending on what year and when!!!
This year King Theo took it over the top by inserting 6 different choreographies from places like West Africa, Brazil, USA, and more! The group almost doubled and the variety of peeps from ages to ethnic backgrounds is amazing.
Come join us and feel the love. I highly recommend this class which is both music and dance training, not to mention the fitness aspect! Come on out and dance!!!

I love to dance and I love samba. Still, I had no idea how fulfilled and fabulous I would feel after two hours of the most intense cardio/​dance challenge I have ever undertaken until I started attending Samba Funk! Led here by a fellow Dance Party regular (thank you girl!), I was attracted to the prospect of finally achieving my goal of dancing in San Francisco Carnaval. Although dancing across the studio in time with other folks in my line can be challenging and the Meredith 300(a series of ab-​crunching exercises) can make me feel sore for days, I now know Samba Funk offers so much more.
Samba Funk has proven to be a spiritually uplifting, culturally rich experience that serves to kick off my week. Besides the intense whole-​body workout, I am surrounded by beautiful people of all ethnic backgrounds and ages as we learn about Brazilian and Carnaval cultures across the Afro Caribbean/​Latin diaspora.
King Theo isn’t only a dance teacher or choreographer. He is a wise man, full of love, passion, and knowledge. I love how he shares his life stories with us and his personal philosophy. To me, that’s what sets apart a good trainer or teacher, the ability to be a real individual while teaching new skills and holding high standards. King Theo has joined me on the floor a few times and shown me one-​on-​one how to perfect moves. The fact that he does that, even when classes get large, shows how much he cares about his students.
Buy a dance card to save on the cost of classes: $ 100 for 10 classes and the 11^th is free. The SambaFunk! experience is well worth the expense and the effort.

SambaFunk is more than a dance class, its love, family, and unity!!!
No matter where your from, black, white PURPLE, or green Sambafunk welcomes everyone with open hearts, and open arms. The best 2hr workout you will ever have to get you ready for those physical and mental challenges in life. Live drums will keep you on your feet, moven and grooven to the sambafunk beat!!! Congratulations to King Theo to keep Sambafunk alive, and buliding a greater community.
For more info please go to

Not just a danceclass, not just a drumclass.
It’s a welcoming community, a family of artistic and creative souls from all walks of life, in all shapes, of all ages, and of all levels of dance.
Together we dance, drum, and enjoy each other’s company and enrich each other’s lives. The dance routines are fun and the live drums add lots of energy to the class.
SambaFunk! is a great way to get fit and a great way to make friends.

Every week SambaFunk attracts happy, beautiful, funky people of all colors and stripes who move to the beat of live drumming. I keep coming here not only to receive dance instructions but also because this is a community that welcomes everyone.
If you are thinking of learning the dance of Samba, or just looking for a fun activity, keep in mind that no dance experience is required here – just come with an open mind and the desire to get in touch with your body through music and movement.
If you are already an experienced Sambista, you will find that the warmth in this circle will add joy to your dance.

High energy, great teachings, beautiful people, incredible drumming, tons of fun, all ages welcome, all skills level welcomed, family oriented, lots of love an acceptance.
SambaFunk dance class starts with an exercise warm up session followed by the dance steps being taught. As class continues energy and speed pick up.
While the dancers are in the dance studio learning and practicing the dance routine the drummers (bateria) are in a small studio right next to the dance studio working on the music that dancers dance to during the second phase of class.
Second phase of class is when the drummers join in and play for the dancers. Dancers line up and dance across the floor as the music takes on an awesome crescendo that fills the room with drumming rhythmic beauty as the dancer display their grace, beauty and strength as they dance across the room.
Class ends with a short cool down period. After class there is always a group photo as well as a special photo of just the ‘first timers’.
Easy payment via pre-​paid class card or pay for each class when you arrive.
Classes start at 4:00 pm and are upstairs in Malonga Center for the Arts
rat a tat tat tat… SAMBAFUNK BABY!