Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art form that dates back hundreds of years. It is neither a fight, nor a dance but rather it is both of these things and much more. Capoeira is a dialog through movement which can take on an endless number of shades of meaning. Capoeira stands out from other artforms in the way that it integrates elements of self-defense, acrobatics, rhythm, and music. The details of this form’s origins and early history are still a matter of debate, however it is clear that enslaved Africans played a crucial role in its development. Some historians claim that slaves used Capoeira’s dance-like appearance as a way to hide their training of combat and self-defense.

Regardless of the details of Capoeira’s origins and the specific role of African traditions in its developments, it is clear that the history of Capoeira became inextricably linked to the slaves’ struggle for freedom. Capoeira became a symbol of their struggle under colonial oppression and as such was heavily persecuted for many years. This legacy followed Capoeira in the years after slavery as well; even after slavery was abolished in 1871, Capoeira remained outlawed and heavily persecuted for many years.

The law forbidding the practice of Capoeira was lifted in 1932, but the stigma associated with Capoeira persisted for some time. On July 9, 1937 Mestre Bimba was given permission to open the first Capoeira academy, ushering in the “academia” era of Capoeira and the formalization of the art form. The opening of Bimba’s school and his development of the Regional style created a new movement within Capoeira. This was exemplified in the Brazilian government’s official recognition of Mestre Bimba’s work, which helped the art form to gain further legitimacty within civil society.

In parallel with Mestre Bimba’s Capoeira Regional was the tradition of Capoeira Angola which sought to preserve the traditional Capoeira of Bahia. In contrast to Bimba’s approach of blending traditions (e.g. incorporating the blows from Batuque into Capoeira) to creat a new style, Mestre Pastinha and other Angola Mestres sought to retain the elements of traditional Capoeira as it existed prior to the advent of Regional.

With time, the stigma attached to Capoeira began to fade. Capoeira quickly began to grow in popularity and spread throughout the country. With the first cultural shows demonstrating capoeira in the 50’s and 60s, Capoeira began to be recognized as valuable piece of Brazil’s cultural heritage. Its acceptance and popularity grew and soon it became one of the nation’s most popular “sports”. Soon, Capoeira grew outside of the borders of Brazil and from the 1970’s until today the artform has spread to reach every corner of globe.