Born almost 500 years ago among the African slaves of Brazil, Capoeira is a cultural phenomenon unique to Brazil. Transcending dance, fighting and artistic expression, it is a uniquely holistic performance art, pushing practitioners to their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual limits.

There are two predominant styles of Capoeira. The originating style, Capoeira Angola, remains closer to the roots of the original style, and is a slower game with more emphasis on technique and strategy, rather than blinding speed and acrobatics. Capoeira Regional originated in 1930's, with a focus on fighting aspects of Capoeira, and utilizes a faster beat, flashy high kicks, and incredible acrobatics.

With deceptive kicks, sweeps, blows and amazing gymnastic maneuvers, Capoeira is characterized not just by the elegant motions of dancers, but by the unmistakably Brazilian music that accompanies it and the way in which it weaves and interacts with the dance and the dancers to change the movements in a second from slow, fluid dancing to successions of sharp, powerful kicks and rapid motions.