What is kizomba?
Kizomba is a smooth, grounded partner dance from Angola danced in a close embrace. The lead comes from the chest and the connection is subtle — walks, saídas, turns and weight changes flow to slow, sensual kizomba music.
History
Kizomba grew out of Angolan semba in the 1980s when Caribbean zouk music became popular in Luanda. It spread through Portugal and France to dance festivals worldwide; urban kiz is a newer, more linear style danced to ghetto zouk and electronic tracks.
Basic technique
- Basic walk and side-to-side weight change
- Saída (exit) and turns in close embrace
- Ginga — the relaxed body motion
Music & tempo
Kizomba, tarraxinha and urban kiz at about 80–100 BPM.
Songs for kizomba
| Song | Artist | BPM | Key | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avec des si | Soumia | 85 | D# major | 2002 |
| Rice | It’s Dynamite | 87 | A# major | 2020 |
| Bladi | Soumia | 88 | E major | 2008 |
| Dança Kizomba | Stony | 89 | B minor | 2015 |
| I Feel It Coming (kizomba remix) | Kaysha | 92 | F minor | 2017 |
| Toutes les nuits | Colonel Reyel | 95 | A# major | 2010 |
| Cerca De Mi (kizomba edit) | Loukas | 164 | F# major | 2017 |
BPM as measured by audio analysis; some tracks read at half or double the danced tempo.
What to wear
Smooth-soled shoes; dancers often prefer flats or low heels.
How to get started
Look for kizomba socials in larger cities; an embrace-friendly beginner class is key.
We list 12 studios that teach kizomba, or browse all dance studios by state.
Key partner-dance terms
Recent research
- The Effectiveness of Dance Interventions on Psychological and Cognitive Health Outcomes Compared with Other Forms of Physical Activity: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. — Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2024
- Human interpretable grammar encodes multicellular systems biology models to democratize virtual cell laboratories. — Cell, 2025
- B7-H3 and Prostate Cancer: New Therapeutic Dance Partners. — European urology, 2023
- Effect of Ballroom Dancing on the Physical, Psychological, and Mental Well-Being of Oncological Patients: A Pilot Study. — International journal of environmental research and public health, 2025
- The cognitive neuroscience and neurocognitive rehabilitation of dance. — BMC neuroscience, 2024
Books about kizomba
- Kokuritsu Kokkai Toshokan shozō Meijiki kankō tosho maikuro-ban shūsei by Kokuritsu Kokkai Toshokan (Japan) (1991)
- The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney (2003)
- My Life by Isadora Duncan (1927)
- Inspecting post-16 by Ofsted. (2001)
- Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird (1983)
- Jean and Johnny by Beverly Cleary (1959)
Encyclopedia summary
Kizomba is a social dance and music genre that originated in Angola during the late 1970s to early 1980s. Kizomba is a national heritage of Angola and means "party" in Kimbundu. Traditionally, kizomba was danced with family, friends, and acquaintances in social settings such as parties and weddings, but is nowadays also enjoyed at clubs as well as in other settings such as Kizomba Na Rua (Kizomba on the street) that are popular in Luanda.
Frequently asked questions
Is kizomba the same as zouk?
No — kizomba is the Angolan dance; zouk is Caribbean music (and Brazilian zouk is a different dance). Kizomba is often danced to zouk music, which causes the confusion.
What BPM is Kizomba?
Kizomba is usually danced to music between 80 and 100 beats per minute. Browse 7 songs that fit on our Kizomba music page.
How many calories does kizomba burn?
About 331 calories per hour for a 155-lb (70 kg) person, based on a MET value of 4.5 from the Compendium of Physical Activities. See calories burned kizomba for every body weight.
Related styles
Bachata
Dominican Republic
Latin Social DanceBrazilian Zouk
Brazil (evolved from lambada)
TangoArgentine Tango
Río de la Plata — Buenos Aires and Montevideo
Latin Social DanceSalsa
New York City — Cuban son and mambo, Puerto Rican musicians
Latin Social DanceMerengue
Dominican Republic
Latin Social DanceCumbia
Caribbean coast of Colombia
Last reviewed October 2026 · Editorial policy