What is Capoeira – A Brief History

Capoeira is a Brazilian art form that incorporates dance, music, martial art techniques and acrobatics.

The history of the art can be traced back to the early 1500’s in Brazil, during the time of slavery. Africans were brought to Brazil by the Portuguese to work on the plantations as slaves in harsh and unsuitable conditions. The slaves had no way to escape their hardship except for the practice of their singing and dancing. It was in this expression that Capoeira was born and later developed into the popular art form that it is today.

Capoeira is an expression of the body, mind and spirit. Capoeira looks like a dance and can be a fight - Its movements are mesmerizing and scintillating.

In a “game” of Capoeira, two players move around each other in what can be described as a ‘mock combat’ encircled by other capoeiristas with the orchestra of instruments at the head of the circle. The players weave in and out of each other in what appears to be a dance.

Among the players, the game can best be described as a conversation – ‘call and response’. It is graceful, yet combative. Like a human game of chess, one player will try to trick and tease the other to move into a position where she is able to put him off balance or to create the space for acrobatic moves. It is a game of the body and mind. It is a game of wills, strength, flexibility, endurance and perception. Each game is unrehearsed, the players using their skills to challenge and outsmart the other.

The traditional music of the Capoeira dictates the type of game to be played – slow, fast, acrobatic, playful or powerful. The songs are sung in Portuguese and capture the essence and history of the art form or simply describe the game within.