Date: Fri 12-Jun-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: MICHEL

Quick Words:

Braziliera-dance-troupe

Full Text:

The Fine Art Of Music, Dancing, And Defense

(with cuts)

BY MICHELE HOGAN

Sandy Hook students learned that dancing can mean more than just fun. For the

Afro-Brazilians, it was also a way to practice self-defense.

The visiting dance troupe, Ginga Braziliera, performed beautifully

choreographed flips and kicks to music. The power and energy of the movements

were hidden within the dancing, in this early Brazilian art form, the

Capoeira.

Developed in the 16th Century by slaves brought to Brazil from southwestern

Africa, the Capoeira is a peculiar blend of self-defense, dance, music and

gymnastics.

The early slaves practiced lethal kicks and other self-defense movements, that

they could perform with their hands tied together. Since martial arts was

forbidden among slaves, they disguised their self-defense as dance.

The group describes Capoeira as "a way of life, a way of thinking, a

philosophy and a science. It's part of their body and their mind: for the

Capoeira, it means everything."

After performing spectacular ducking kicks and flips, they made it absolutely

clear to the children that this was not something they should try themselves.

Efraim Silva, drummer and troupe leader, told the children that if they were

to try this without learning it from a dance school, they could hurt

themselves and never be able to learn it.

The children loved the performance, and were sad to see it come to a close.

It ended with the Samba, the national music and dance of Brazil.