Born almost 500 years ago among the African slaves of Brazil, Capoeira is a cultural phenomenon unique to Brazil. Transcending dance, fighting and artistic expression, it is a uniquely holistic performance art, pushing practitioners to their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual limits. With deceptive kicks, sweeps, blows and amazing gymnastic maneuvers, Capoeira is characterized not just by the elegant motions of dancers, but by the unmistakably Brazilian music that accompanies it and the way in which it weaves and interacts with the dance and the dancers to change the movements in a second from slow, fluid dancing to successions of sharp, powerful kicks and rapid motions.

There are two predominant styles of Capoeira. The originating style, Capoeira Angola, remains closer to the roots of the original style, and is a slower game with more emphasis on technique and strategy, rather than blinding speed and acrobatics. Capoeira Regional originated in 1930's, with a focus on fighting aspects of Capoeira, and utilizes a faster beat, flashy high kicks, and incredible acrobatics.

The game or "roda" is played in a circle, with the instruments positioned at the top of the circle, and all the play begins from the area in front of the musicians. The music is also very important to the game, as it controls the game. If the music is fast, the play inside the roda is fast; if the music is slow, the play must follow.

On its deepest level, Capoeira goes beyond martial arts, music and ritual and is a philosophical framework for approaching and interacting with the others and the world at large. Capoeira is an artistic discipline. The techniques are done with graceful and sometimes powerful movements. Students continuously strive to improve the artistic presentation of each technique. The art of Capoeira develops posture, graceful movement, excellent coordination, and attention to detail. We believe that everyone can benefit from exposure to this artistic discipline.