Capoeira

Capoeira was created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in Brazil, disguising fighting technique within dance, music and play. It was criminalised under the penal code of 1890 and legitimised only in the 20th century, when Mestre Bimba opened the first officially recognised academy in Salvador in the 1930s (Capoeira Regional) and Mestre Pastinha organised the traditional Capoeira Angola. UNESCO added the capoeira circle (roda) to its intangible cultural heritage list in 2014.

Character

• The roda: Two players “play” inside a circle of practitioners who sing, clap and play instruments; the berimbau leads.
• Ginga: The constant swaying base movement everything else grows from.
• Kicks and sweeps: Spinning kicks (armada, meia-lua de compasso), sweeps (rasteira), and evasions (esquivas) rather than blocks.
• Acrobatics and music: Cartwheels, handstands, songs in Portuguese and playing the instruments are all part of training.

Who is it for?

Anyone who wants a full-body art with rhythm, community and creativity. Capoeira builds exceptional mobility and leg strength; competition exists but the roda is the heart of it. You need nothing but loose clothing to begin.