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Capoeira

Taught by Alexsandra Frias



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

When
  • Thu, Jan 30, 2025 at 6:00pm
Where

Dance Studio 124
2020 Campus Drive
Durham, NC 27708

Venue Details
Notes

Registration for this workshop will open on Friday, January 24.

Capoeira

Taught by Alexsandra Frias

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

Join us for a free community workshop on Capoeira! This Afro-Brazilian art form blends martial arts, dance, acrobatics, and music. Participants will be introduced to Brazilian percussion instruments and take part in the “roda”—a circle where two players at the center exchange movements, while those on the outside clap and energize the game.

Workshop Notes:
Welcome and brief introduction to Capoeira Regional (origins and basic description)

Warm-up exercises, including the ginga (basic capoeira movement) and ginga variations.

Basic kicks – benção, meia lua de frente.

Basic sequências (by yourself and with a partner)

Introduction to Brazilian percussion instruments for capoeira rhythms

Introduction to the roda (the “circle” in which capoeira games are traditionally played)

Students will perform simple sequencias in pairs, clap to capoeira rhythms and learn capoeira songs.

About Capoeira

Capoeira dates back nearly 400 years and is rooted in rich African traditions brought to Brazil by enslaved Africans. This art form arose from the pressures of colonialism and oppression. Slaves disguised these trained martial movements as dance and expressed them in a roda, the Brazilian-Portuguese word meaning circle. This movement or ‘game’ is played between two capoeiristas and is a fluid series of agile and acrobatic martial art movements linked together to form a unique conversation. Learn more about capoeira here.

Meet the Instructor

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 …

More Info

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.

Registration for the following week’s Duke Arts Create workshops go live on Friday morning at 9 a.m. – sign up in advance to guarantee your spot. Didn’t get a spot? No problem! We always reserve space for walk-ins and waitlist registers. Email DukeCreate@duke.edu if you have any questions. Sign up for the monthly newsletter here, which includes the full list of classes offered during the following month.

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

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