Capoeira combines elements of martial arts, dance and acrobatics.
Part music class, part history lesson and rich with Afro-Brazilian culture, capoeira was prohibited in times of slavery and disguised as a dance. Five hundred years later, it’s practiced right here in Ottawa by children as young as two.
Dende do Recife brought the martial art to Ottawa 10 years ago, when few people outside of Brazil knew anything about it.
The group recently began including children in adult rodas – the circle within which two players kick and dodge while others play instruments around them. Players try to surprise and outsmart each other with a combination of cunning kicks, acrobatic movements and controlled takedowns.
“I used to say that capoeira is so young that it’s like a baby in Canada,” says Contra-Mestre Fabio Cuencas, Dende do Recife’s founder.
“We’ve grown a lot and I thought it was time to give kids a chance to get involved.”
Cuencas learned the art form thirty years ago at the age of seven. In his native Brazil, capoeira classes don’t have age limits.
In Ottawa, children’s classes focus on the element of play and parents often train with their children to help them get to their next belt level.
Over Christmas, the group held its first grading for children.
“They were so excited,” says Chrysandre Courchene, one of Cuencas’ senior students who leads children’s classes.
“They really got to showcase their talent. Some parents told me that night they slept with their new belts on.”
During the grading, the children played against their parents and other capoeira masters who came all the way from Brazil.
“I was a bit shy,” says eight-year-old Zoe Monoogian.
In Courchene’s class, percussive rhythms and melodic Portuguese verses echo across the room while children and their parents throw kicks, dodge blows and cartwheel over one another in step with the beat of the drum.
A child of about two expertly practices an impressive headstand. The boy’s father watches patiently and imitates his son’s movements.
For Monoogian, the moves aren’t new, but training with her father and a mixed group of children is.
“I was learning break dancing, but it was all boys so I didn’t like it and I stopped taking the class,” she says.
Children can learn elaborate movements in small and careful steps, says Courchene, adding that parents are often surprised when they see what their children can do.
“When you flip the script and have kids teach their parents, it’s empowering for them. It’s a confidence booster,” says Courchene.
For some parents, the class means they can practice their sport without having to compromise their time with family. For others, the class is a way to connect with their children by learning an activity together.
“Typically kids' classes are treated like a form of babysitting – ‘We’re just going to pack our kids off for an hour and go get coffee,’ as opposed to ‘I’m going to do something together with my kid.’” says parent Badger Jones.
Many capoeira lyrics recount the legends and history of African slaves, who documented their experiences in song.
Although children may not understand the historical significance of capoeira, they love the element of play, says Cuencas, whose young children were some of the first to be seen cartwheeling around adult classes.
“Capoeira has transformed my life; it’s been my breath, my reason for waking up. Now that my kids are doing it, it’s the reason for my existence.”
Watch a video about how capoeira is growing in popularity here in Ottawa.