Some of the best samba teachers in the world are coming together this weekend to teach the Brazilian dance at a three-day celebration in Munich.

It will be the inaugural International Samba Congress in Europe, after launching in Los Angeles two years ago.

Participants will invited to dip into the Brazilian culture, with a programme filled with folk dance and music classes, concerts, performances, competitions and parties stretching from Friday to Sunday,

Carlinhos Salgueiro, Rosangela Silvestre, Irineu Nogueira, Mayara Santos, Liani Devito and Leila Heinel are just some of the names lined up to teach 34 different classes over the weekend.

Liani and Leila have both taught at Chalk Farm's Paraiso School of Samba, whose members paraded at the Hackney Carnival this weekend.

Samba was created a century ago by African people who had been taken to Brazil due to slavery, who fused their native music and dance culture with south American and European influences.

The fun-filled energetic rhythm became known nationally, and the Rio Carnival has become the highlight of the samba calendar - although a set of dances, rather than one single dance, defines the samba dancing scene.

The history of samba and how to dance it will be taught at the Congress, along with quirks and variations, cultural contexts and styles.

"If you love Brazilian culture, you just can't miss this experience," said Irineu Nogueira who is bringing the Congress to the German city with Aninha Malandro, Cria Da Casa Productions and Samba N' Motion.

"We want to provide you a deep experience of Brazilian culture to appreciate the art, to meet new people; to respect the diversity, to feel emotions and to live and enjoy every single moment."

For more information and to buy tickets for the weekend priced at 230 Euros see sambacongresseurope.com.