Capoeira is a unique blend of fight and dance, song and music. Today it is Brazil’s second largest sport after soccer, and is fast becoming a globally recognized art and sport form. The game or “Jogo de Capoeira” is best described as a circle (called a “roda”) in which two players (capoeiristas) display their techniques in a whirlwind of power, speed and agility.

They are guided by the music, singing and clapping of the people in the roda. There is an acrobatic and beautiful avoidance of physical contact. The players’ movements display ritual, trickery and grace. Songs rich with oral traditions are sung to reference what is occurring at that very moment in the game. This gathering of musicians and artists forms a community of expression.

Many moves involve headstands, handstands, cartwheels and other improvised movements. In training, we often play competitively with our partner. Rather than block an oncoming blow, we evade it with a flight or a flourish, and trip them up as we leave. At its best expression, there is never any actual contact between players.

Skill is cultivated to pull blows, and it is enough to show that a kick could have landed, without striking the other person. In class students learn all the physical elements of Capoeira, but this is only one facet of Capoeira.

There is much more than physical training involved. Students will learn to sing, to play musical instruments, and also possibly to speak a whole new language! Capoeira is a living testament to the durability of the human spirit that is practiced in dance and fitness academies, cultural centers and universities.

The evolution of Capoeira continues under the influence of creativity and imagination.