during carnival, escolas do samba (samba schools) show off routines they've been practicing all year long - fourteen of the best samba schools in rio are chosen to perform at the sambódromo on the sunday and monday (seven each night) before ash wednesday.

each school develops a theme and an original samba song -  about a half dozen floats and 30+ costumed dancers performance, each school's theme and dance down the carnival parade route singing their own samba song.