House specialityConnection and cadence
Kizomba
Slow, close, walked. The dance the school is known for, taught from absolute beginner to advanced.
BeginnersIntermediateAdvanced
Benfica · Lisbon
Social dance school · Benfica, Lisbon
Passion inevery step
Kizomba, Semba, Bachata, Belly Dance and Ballroom — in a room where nobody stays sitting down.
Come on your own or with someone. We rotate partners, we start from zero, and by the end of the term you will be dancing at the socials.
Classes every evening from 17:45. Saturday mornings too.
- 5
- dances taught
- 3
- levels, zero to advanced
- 2019
- in Benfica since
The dances
Five dances, one floor
Kizomba is the house speciality — the school calls itself "a melhor escola de Kizomba". The rest of the week belongs to the other four.
House speciality
Semba
The joyful root
Kizomba's older, faster ancestor — playful, bouncy, full of turns and surprises.
Bachata
Hip and melody
Four steps, a world of musicality. The easiest floor to start on and the hardest to master.
Belly Dance
Strength and isolation
Danced solo. Control, posture and a great deal more core work than anyone expects.
Ballroom
For the dance floor of a lifetime
The classics, taught for real occasions — a wedding, a party, a cruise, a Saturday night.
Start here
Two things people worry about
Both have the same answer, and it is the reason this school fills up.
"I have never danced in my life."
That is exactly who the Iniciados classes are for. The school's own invitation says it plainly: learn Kizomba from zero. Nobody starts knowing.
Beginners class"I do not have a partner."
You do not need one. Social dance classes rotate partners — you come alone, you dance with everyone, and that is how you learn to lead or follow anyone.
Partner rotation
Never danced before01
Call the school
910 022 866. Say which dance you are curious about and whether you have danced before.
02
Come to a class
Comfortable clothes, shoes you can turn in. Nothing else required.
03
Stay for the socials
The Sunsets, the socials and the nights out are where the classes turn into dancing.
"If you don't know how to dance, just show up — you'll be welcome."
Your week
When the room is open
Evening classes from Monday to Friday, plus Tuesday and Thursday mornings and Saturday morning. The Kizomba levels below are the times the school publishes.
Published classLead and follow
Mon
Monday
17:45 – 22:30
Tue
Tuesday
10:15 – 11:30 · 17:45 – 22:00
Wed
Wednesday
17:45 – 21:30
Thu
Thursday
10:15 – 11:30 · 17:45 – 22:30
Published class
20:30
Kizomba
Advanced21:30
Kizomba
Beginners
Fri
Friday
18:00 – 22:30
Published class
21:00
Kizomba
Intermediate
Sat
Saturday
10:15 – 13:30
Sun
Sunday
Closed
ClosedHouse speciality
Ask about a classTimes for Semba, Bachata, Belly Dance and Ballroom change with each term — call 910 022 866 and we will tell you which class fits you.
Since 2019The school
A school that behaves like a family
Joana Machado is a dancer, teacher and choreographer — a familiar face to anyone who followed "Dança com as Estrelas". In 2019 she opened her own school on Rua Jorge Barradas, in Benfica.
What the students describe is rarely technique first. They write about arriving alone and finding people, about the class being the best hour of their week, about a place they keep coming back to. The teaching underneath it is structured: accessible for beginners, demanding for the advanced, level by level.
The rest is the calendar — Sunsets now in their third edition, socials, workshops and nights at B.leza. The classes are where you learn; those are where you dance.
- 2019
- school opened in Benfica
- 5
- dance styles
- 49
- Google ratings, all five stars
Who teaches you
Led from the floor, not the office
Joana teaches. That is the short version, and the reviews keep saying it.
Lead and follow
Since 2019Founder and teacher
Joana Machado
Dancer, teacher and choreographer, seen nationally on "Dança com as Estrelas". Students call her "Stôra" and describe classes that are relaxed and funny and still leave them better dancers.
Kizomba, Semba, Bachata, Belly Dance, Ballroom
The teaching team
Joana teaches alongside João and a small team of teachers — the reviews describe them as "top, dinâmicos e divertidos", and as the reason a beginner does not feel lost in the room.
Beyond the classroom
The part you came for
Passion in every step
A dance you only ever do in a classroom is a hobby. These are where it becomes something else.
Sunset·Socials·Workshops·Nights at B.leza·
Third editionSunset
The school's own party — the one students count down to. 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions so far.
Through the termSocials
Open dance nights at the school. No class, no levels — just the floor and whoever shows up.
Scheduled in advanceWorkshops
Focused sessions on one dance or one idea, announced on Instagram before each term.
RegularlyNights at B.leza
The school goes out together to one of Lisbon's best known dance houses — down on the river.
Dates are announced on Instagram — @escola.joanamachado.
Follow on InstagramWhat the room says
Forty-nine ratings. Every one of them five stars.
Sixteen of them took the time to write something. These are theirs, unedited.
Google reviews
49Google ratings
49of them five stars
16with a written review
The school has answered nearly every one — including the ones with no text.
A reference for anyone who wants to learn and live the essence of Kizomba. The teaching is accessible for beginners and challenging for the advanced. A real place for anyone who wants to dance with soul.
An excellent school, with top teachers, dynamic and fun. If you don't know how to dance, just show up and you'll be welcome; if you do, there's still room to learn one more step. Joana & João, you are top — I hope to stay an active member of this family for a long time.
This school was a diamond I found in 2024! I found a wonderful, welcoming family, simple and elegant steps, and the marvellous "Stôra" Joana Machado with her always-funny way of getting us dancing with sensuality and elegance!
Recommended. Friendly, fun atmosphere. Classes well structured for easy, progressive learning.
A place of interaction, friendship, joy and dance, with a top teacher. Good therapy for any moment. Good energy and beautiful people.
Spectacular team. Joana Machado and her team are super professional and talented. Her classes are the best hours of my week.
Passion in every step
Read them on GoogleBefore you come
The questions everybody asks
No. Social dance classes rotate partners — come alone or with someone, you will dance with the whole room either way. It is also the fastest way to learn to lead or follow anybody.
Come dance
The floor is on Rua Jorge Barradas
Call, write, or come by in the evening — the room is open from 17:45.
Phone910 022 866
Address
R. Jorge Barradas 28A, 1500-371 Lisboa
Benfica, Lisboa
Opening hours
- Monday17:45 – 22:30
- Tuesday10:15 – 11:30 · 17:45 – 22:00
- Wednesday17:45 – 21:30
- Thursday10:15 – 11:30 · 17:45 – 22:30
- Friday18:00 – 22:30
- Saturday10:15 – 13:30
- SundayClosed
Follow the school
Benfica · Lisbon
Open in Google Maps