Botafogo, also sometimes spelt as Bota-fogo or Bota Fogo, is a dance step in Samba. Depending on relative positions and handholds, there are several versions of Botafogos while the basic footwork

Footwork (dance)

Footwork refers to dance technique aspects related to feet: foot position and foot action.The following aspects of footwork may be considered:*Dance technique: a proper footwork may be vital for proper posture and movement of a dancer....

 technique is the same. The name comes from Botafogo

Botafogo

Botafogo is a beachfront neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a mostly middle class and small commerce community, and is located between the hills of Mundo Novo, Dona Marta and São João .- History :Botafogo was named after João Pereira de Sousa Botafogo, who was responsible for the...

 place in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...

, Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

.

A generic Botafogo step pattern may start from either foot, either forward or backward, and its three steps are counted as "1..a2". During the dance the Botafogos are usually repeated several times, from alternating feet.

A sample footwork is as follows:

• Start facing, e.g., diagonally to the wall
  Direction of movement
  In ballroom dancing , directions of movement, in particular, directions of steps, can be indicated either in relation to the room or in relation to the body position...
  
  .
• On "1" step forward with the left foot slightly diagonally across the body (i.e., step in CBMP)
• On "a" step sideways with partial weight transfer. During this and the next steps, make a quarter turn to the left.
• On "2" replace the full weight onto the left foot.
• End the figure facing diagonally to the center
  Direction of movement
  In ballroom dancing , directions of movement, in particular, directions of steps, can be indicated either in relation to the room or in relation to the body position...
  
  .

The ballroom

Ballroom

A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...

 Samba has the following named variations of Botafogo:

• Travelling Botafogos Forward
• Travelling Botafogos Back
• Criss Cross Botafogos
• Shadow Botafogos
• Contra Botafogos
• Botafogos to PP and CPP (to promenade position
  Promenade position
  The promenade position is a dance position in ballroom and other dances. It is described differently in various dance categories.-Connection:...
  
   and counter promenade position
  Counter promenade position
  The counter promenade position is a dance position in ballroom and other dances. It is described differently in various dance categories, but essentially it is the opposite of the promenade position.-Ballroom:...
  
  )

TV Show References

Botafoga dance moves are often mentioned various times on British

British

The word British is an adjective referring in various ways to the United Kingdom or the island of Great Britain and its people and language.People...

 television show BBC One

BBC One

BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...

's Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...

 show, when the dancers perform various latin dances.
They are also being used on the pro challenge during Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two

Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two

Strictly: It Takes Two is a British television programme, the companion show to the popular BBC One programme Strictly Come Dancing. It airs on weeknights during the run of the main show on BBC Two at 6:30pm...

 (a companion show to the main Strictly Come Dancing TV Show). Each year the pro dancers perform a challenge. This year they are trying to perform the most Botafogos in 30seconds for a Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...

record breaker.