Capoeira

Listen closely. Can you hear it? A twanging sound from a single string, a steady beat from a drum. Now watch. Two people are in a circle, a roda, surrounded by clapping friends. They move like acrobats, spinning and cartwheeling. They kick their legs high in the air, but they never touch. It looks like a playful dance, a game of questions and answers told with their bodies. They are strong and graceful, like leaping jaguars. What is this game, this dance, this fight that isn't a fight? I am all of these things. I am Capoeira.

My story begins a long, long time ago, in the 16th century, on the sunny shores of Brazil. People were brought there from Africa as slaves and forced to work. They were not allowed to practice fighting to defend themselves. So, they created me as a secret. They hid their powerful kicks and escapes inside the flowing movements of a dance. To anyone watching, it looked like a fun game played to music from instruments like the berimbau and pandeiro. But for them, I was a practice of freedom, a way to keep their bodies strong and their spirits hopeful. The roda, the circle of people, gave them energy and kept their secret safe. I was their hope, their strength, and their clever plan all rolled into one. I was a whisper of freedom that grew louder with every beat of the drum and every clap of their hands, reminding them of who they were and the strength they carried inside.

For many years, even after slavery ended on May 13th, 1888, some people were still afraid of me and I was against the law. But my spirit was too strong to disappear. A great teacher named Mestre Bimba showed everyone how beautiful and important I was. In the 1930s, he helped make me an official and respected sport. Today, I have traveled far from Brazil. I am played by children and adults all over the world. I teach them to be clever, strong, and to move with the music. I am a reminder that even in hard times, people can create something beautiful and powerful that brings everyone together. I am a dance of freedom, and you can join the circle, too.