Rio Carnival, Brazil's midsummer festival in South America, has begun with a parade by top samba teams, and the excitement at the venue is at its peak.
The Rio Carnival opened on February 9th, and a contest began on the night of the 11th at a special venue in Rio de Janeiro, where 12 selected top teams competed on the beauty of their singing and dancing.
Each team is made up of about 3,000 members, and they march along a roughly 700-meter course set up at the venue with giant floats.
This year's parade featured themes such as black culture and the history of indigenous peoples, and dancers in colorful costumes showed off their splendid steps, enlivening the parade.
Meanwhile, in Brazil, the mosquito-borne dengue fever is rapidly spreading, with more than 400,000 people infected so far this year, and at least 62 deaths confirmed. Authorities were urging participants to take precautions.
The parade by Rio's top Carnival teams continues through the night until the morning of the 13th, and the excitement at the Carnival venue is at its peak.