4 ways to
Join Sambão
for the SF Carnaval 2003 Parade


Dancers (Alas) Drummers (Bateria) Out of town Guests and Local Independents Color Guard
1. Join Sambão
2. Come to Rehearsals
3. Learn the Choreography
4. Buy/Make your costume
5. Volunteer
6. Recruit
7. Parade!
1.  Join Sambão
2. Come to Rehearsals
3. Learn the Enredo
4. Buy your costume
5. Volunteer
6. Recruit
7. Parade
1. Join Sambão
3. Learn choreography/Enredo
4. Buy/Make costume
7. Parade

1. Join Sambão
4. Buy a T-Shirt
7. Parade

1.  Join Sambão - All parade participants are requried to sign a release form provided by the organization that runs Carnaval in San Francisco.  The "release form" is included as part of the Sambão Registration form.  By completing and signing the form you will satisfy the parade participation requirements and will be joining Sambão.  The $10.00 fee covers the cost of administration for Sambão Para O Povo, a legal 501(c)(3) Non-Profit oganization.  Organization funds go towards water and food for parade participants, the float or sound truck, mailings to the membership, and many other parade costs.  DOWNLOAD Registration Form in PDF (Print, complete and mail with check to Sambão Para O Povo, P.O. Box 598, Mountain View, CA 94042-0598).

Note:  The $10 fee is welcomed, but not required for members of the color Guard, Out of town guests, Local Independents and members of our special guest contingents.

2. Come to Rehearsals - SF Carnaval 2003 Rehearsals will happen on Saturday afternoons from 3-5pm starting on Saturday, April 5, 2003.  A single fee of $40.00 will be charged for the entire 8 week session leading up to the parade.  During the first hour, the dancers and bateria will work separately and then both groups will rehearse together.  Rehearsal are Saturdays from 3-5pm at Cuesta Park in Mountain View.

3. Learn the Choreography/Enredo - For dancers, the choreographies will be taught and practiced during the Saturday rehearsals.  In addition, the Wednesday night classes will also cover the parade material for the remainder of the spring.  Wednesday night classes may be taken on a drop-in basis.  Everyone is encouraged to learn the Enredo (our theme song) which is available on the web for free downloading (CDs will also be available for a nominal fee of $5.00).  Bateria members must learn the Enredo which will be practiced both Saturdays and Wednesday nights.

4. Buy/Make your costume - Dancer costumes will be created during rehearsal times during the next few weeks.  Dancers will either pay a fee to have their costume made, or will participate in making costumes themselves.  Final costs are to be determined, but is is recommend that you budget $30-$100 for a costume that you will keep and can be used at other performances all year round.  Bateria costumes will consist of this year's Sambão T-shirt, and a head piece that will be warn over standard "Samba Whites".  The bateria costume will cost $30.

5. Volunteer - We need help!  Please volunteer to help with costume creation, t-shirt ordering and sales, float/sound truck decorations and all of the other millions of little tasks that need to happen in order for Sambão's contingent to participate in the parade.  Short meetings will be held at each rehearsal session where will solicit help for the necessary tasks.

6. Recruit - In addition to your participation as a dancer or bateria member, we need additional people at the parade as "parade monitors", water providers, and drivers for the sound truck.  Please ask your friends and relatives to volunteer for these tasks and sign them up to do so at the meetings during rehearsals.  We are required to provide a number of "official parade monitors" and these folks will need to attend a mandatory training in San Francisco (date TBD) before the parade.

7. Parade! - The SF Carnaval 2003 Parade begins at 10:00am on Sunday, May 25th, 2003.  All participants will be expected to arrive between 8:00 and 9:00am.  The parade is about 2.5 miles long and will last two or three hours.  There will be a meeting place to celebrate, and possibly a stage performance in the afternoon.  The parade map is available on-line.  Additional instructions about parking and meeting places will be provided at rehearsals.

Sponsor Program!  Sponsors ($100 or $250) get their logo on the back of our t-shirt, on the web site, and in the program.
Download Sponsor Packet (PDF) - (Download Letter to Sambão Member)