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8787 New Halls Ferry Rd. 314-599-2006 314-867-6095 314-869-4747 |
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Capoeira
Performance Arts |
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Phone: 314-878-4569 Fax: 314-227-5307 Email: lgizzel@yahoo.com |
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Capoeira is a dancing art that was transformed into a
fighting style by African slaves in Brazil.
Its unique style is marked by deft, tricky movements often played on
the ground or completely inverted. It
also has a strong acrobatic component in other forms which is played in a
game with music. There are
two different forms of Capoeira. The
first is, Angola, which is a slow, low play with particular attention to the
tradition style with rituals. The
other form is the Regional style which is the one that carries all the
acrobatics. |
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Community
Of Hazelwood |
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Capoeira |
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After slavery was
abolished, the slaves moved to the cities of Brazil, and with no employment
to be found, many joined or formed criminal gangs. They continued to practice
capoeira, and it became associated with anti-government or criminal
activities. As a result, capoeira was outlawed in Brazil in 1892. The
punishment for practicing it was extreme (practitioners would have the
tendons on the back of their feet cut), and the police were vicious in their
attempt to stamp out the art. Capoeira continued to be practiced, but it
moved further underground. Rodas were often held in areas with plenty of
escape routes, and a special rhythm called cavalaria
were added to the music to warn players that the police were coming. To avoid
being persecuted, capoeira practitioners (capoeiristas)
also gave themselves an apelido
or
nicknames, often more than
one. This made it much harder for the police to discover their true
identities. This tradition continues to this day. When a person is baptized
into Capoeira at the batizado ceremony, they may be given their apelido. |
