Samba School Lita Morena Team Wins Best Choreography at Zomercarnaval Rotterdam 2025!
We are incredibly proud to announce that Samba School Lita Morena has been awarded the Best Choreography title at the Zomercarnaval Rotterdam 2025, one of the most vibrant cultural festivals in the Netherlands.
The Rotterdam Unlimited Zomercarnaval is a spectacular multi–day celebration of Caribbean and global carnival culture held every July in the heart of Rotterdam. Each year it attracts thousands of dancers, elaborate floats, brass bands, and colourful costumes, with some editions drawing well over 2,500 performers from around the world.
This honour recognises not only outstanding technical precision but also artistic imagination, storytelling through movement, synchronisation, and the sheer joy of expression — and Lita Morena’s choreography stood out among all the incredible groups at the festival.
This award is a major milestone for Lita and her team — a testament to years of dedication, training, and passion for samba and performance art. Whether on stage, in parades, or in classes back in Rotterdam, Lita continues to inspire dancers of all levels to explore rhythm, confidence, and creativity.
See gallery Zomercarnaval 2025
The theme behind the winning samba performance: Orixás
Samba School Lita Morena chose Orixás as our central theme of the Zomercarnaval 2025— a powerful and deeply meaningful element of Afro-Brazilian culture. The Orixás are spiritual forces of nature, each representing different energies such as strength, water, fire, wind, wisdom, love, and transformation. They originate from West African traditions and are an essential part of Brazilian cultural and spiritual heritage, especially within music, dance, and carnival.
In samba, Orixás are often expressed through movement, rhythm, colours, and gestures. Every Orixá has its own personality, tempo, and way of moving the body. Some dances are grounded and strong, others fluid and expansive, mirroring rivers, oceans, storms, or the earth itself. This makes the theme incredibly rich choreographically and emotionally.
Costumes, colours, and movements are carefully chosen to reflect the essence of each Orixá, creating a visual and rhythmic story that unfolds throughout the performance. Samba School Lita Morena’s Zomercarnaval Group consisted of 4 groups with costumes in 4 main theme colors.
Choosing Orixás as a theme is also a way of honouring the roots of samba. Samba was born from Afro-Brazilian communities where music, spirituality, and daily life were closely connected. By bringing Orixás to the street and the stage, we celebrate ancestry, resilience, and cultural continuity. Orixás remind us that samba is more than entertainment — it is expression, identity, and living culture. Through this choreography, we share respect, energy, and gratitude for the traditions that continue to inspire us today.
What is the Rotterdam Zomercarnaval parade?
Zomercarnaval is known for its street parade, a 5 km procession through Rotterdam’s centre packed with vibrant dance, music, and culture that brings the city to life. It celebrates diversity, community, and the joyous blend of Afro-Caribbean traditions with Rotterdam’s local cultural fabric.
More about Rotterdam’s Zomercarnaval
Read all about Zomercarnaval Rotterdam and its colourful programme here:
Zomercarnaval – official website: Zomercarnaval Rotterdam
Rotterdam Unlimited Zomercarnaval: Rotterdam Unlimited
Want to perform in the Zomercarnaval 2026 with Samba School Lita Morena?
Want to perform samba at Zomercarnaval 2026 with the show group Samba School Lita Morena?
Subscriptions are now open for both dancers and supporting crew, whether you want to shine on the parade route or contribute behind the scenes. Join an experienced, passionate samba team and be part of one of the most iconic cultural events in the Netherlands.