interestingly, the evolution of carnival transformed the street blocos as to balance the presence of male and female participants when compared to the parades in the sambódromo.

while the fancy carnival parades in the sambódromo have historically highlighted sensual and revealing feminine beauty, many street blocos now also emphasize toned bodies and athletic male figures - in part a result of the carioca culture that values health and fitness as a desirable lifestyle.

an interesting, if over-simplistic comparison, can depict a parade in the sambódromo as a female muse leading a float and group of dancers, while a bloco is a large group of both male and female revelers surrounding and/or following a band on a "musical" float.