Event Archives

Capoeira: Words in Motion

Taught by Alexsandra Frias and JP Gritton

Community Workshop: Open to all – no Duke affiliation required!

Join Alexsandra “Tigresa” Frias for a night of Afro-Brazilian history, music, and movement. A forty-year practitioner of capoeira, Mestra Tigresa will showcase the fundamentals of this martial dance developed by enslaved people in Brazil. Her ninety-minute workshop will explore the many sides of capoeira through lyric translation, rhythmic expression, and movement. Participants should bring water and wear light, loose-fitting clothes.

6 – 6:10: Capoeira background & history
6:10 – 6:30: Capoeira translation “free-write” w/ Duke creative writing professor JP Gritton
6:30 – 7:00: Fundamentals of capoeira music
7:00 – 7:45: Fundamentals of capoeira movement
7:45 – 8:00: Capoeira roda

Meet the Instructors

Alexsandra Frias

Born and raised in the town of Coronel Fabriciano in southeastern Brazil, Tigresa developed an interest in Capoeira at a young age and began studying in 1986. She obtained her Professora …

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JP Gritton

JP Gritton’s novel Wyoming, a Kirkus best debut of 2019, is out with Tin House. His awards include a Cynthia Woods Mitchell fellowship, the Meringoff prize in fiction, and the …

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Duke Arts Create is a series of free, hands-on arts workshops designed to help all Duke students, including graduate and professional students (including Duke Health), as well as Duke faculty and staff develop a variety of creative skills in the visual arts, dance and movement, creative writing and more. Workshops are open to all skill levels and backgrounds. Most workshops are held in the Duke Arts Annex, the Rubenstein Arts Center or the Duke Arts Office 2101 and are typically held weeknights from 6-8 p.m.

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Duke Arts Create is sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for the Arts (Duke Arts).