Although its history is blurred, Capoeira Angola represents the centuries-old meshing of African and Brazilian cultures, and traditions of communication, dance, and martial arts.
Two dancers, dressed fully in white, take center stage in Swasey Chapel. They’ve entered the roda–that’s “circle” in Portuguese–the spot where their duet will take shape. They pause, shake hands, pause again, and then they begin to move, quickly becoming a blurred cloud of white. One “player,” as dancers are called in the roda, swings her leg high overhead. Her partner reacts by springing back on his heels and hands. Moments later the players are on their hands and feet, crab-like, kicking and turning, or twisting up into handstands. This is Capoeira Angola, an Afro-Brazilian art form that blends the movements of martial arts, dance, and gymnastics.
Outside the roda is a troupe of musicians, most of whom will enter the circle later for their own dance duet. For now, though, they provide rhythm for the dance. Among them stands Tisza Coelho, her husband, Cabello Rolim, and the couple’s seven-year-old daughter, Dora. As visiting dance instructors, Coelho and Rolim have come all the way from Bahia, Brazil–where they own and operate the dance and cultural retreat Ouro Verde Cultural Fazenda–to teach Denison students Capoeira during the fall semester. On this night they’re joined by the other members of their Brazilian dance company to share their cultural traditions with the entire community.
The precise history of Capoeira is shrouded in centuries of Brazilian slave culture and the meshing of diverse African traditions. It eventually became perceived as a means for slaves to communicate and practice martial arts, and was banned until 1934. But in the following decades of its revival, communication has remained at the tradition’s core. There’s no set choreography here; emotion dictates. If a player is having a tough day, her movements–a kick, a duck, a handstand–may signal aggression, and her partner must react with learned movements of his own. “You make questions,” explains Coelho, “and you get answers.” But, if the players are a father and child, as is the case when Rolim and Dora enter the roda for their duet, the dance becomes playful and gentle, as Rolim smiles at Dora, and Dora giggles at her dad’s fancy footwork.
Rolim (center) is never without his berimbau, a traditional Brazilian instrument, which he made himself. As visiting dance instructors last fall, he and Coelho brought dozens more in order to teach students the other aspect of Capoeira Angola–the music.
The performance in Swasey–co-hosted by the Vail Series and the Dance Department–launched a year of celebrations commemorating an important anniversary of Denison’s World Dance Program. For 10 years, the program has brought visiting faculty from all over the world to share the histories and cultures behind their dance.
For many like Coelho and Rolim, their dance is more than a profession; it is a way of life. “When we are working, we do Capoeira,” says Coelho. “When we are resting, we do Capoeira. When we want to have fun, we do Capoeira.”
Tools of the Trade
Capoeira Angola is so much more than movement. Here are the instruments that are essential to the dance.