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- Collection: Documenting Living Culture
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A Perfect Twist
The process of making cords is similar to the process of making twisted lanyard friendship bracelets, but on a much larger scale. It is always a happy moment when a cord comes out with a perfect twist.
Making Cords
Making cords for the annual batizado is a long process. Professora Amazonas uses her ingenuity, adapting a power drill with a hook attachment to speed the process up.
An Annual Tradition
Every year, months before Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira’s annual batizado, Professora Amazonas starts hand making cords, with help from other members of the group.
Funny Faces of GLDC
The "playing" continues beyond the roda. In every group photo taken of GLDC, members make sure too always take one "funny face" photo.
Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira - Family Photo
After every demonstration, performance, and community event the members of Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira, along with some of the participants of the events, capture the moment with a family photo.
Berimbau and Atabaque
The berimbau is the leader of the roda, setting the rules of the game, and the atabaque provides the pulse or the heartbeat.
Batería
Members of Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira provide ambiance and energy in the roda by leading the rhythms and songs.
Cocorinha
Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira engages the community in the art of capoeira, getting the audience out of their seat to participate, learn and play.
Goku
One of the newest members of Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira, Goku is working toward his first cord. He was invited to participate in the Tuscan School Culture Night performance, demonstrating what he has learned to the public with confidence and…
Professora Amazonas
Professora Amazonas playing the berimbau and leading the roda. The berimbau's rhythms are what set the rules of the game.
Playing Capoeira
Members of Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira play capoeira in the roda, demonstrating kicks and defensive movements.
Sharing Culture with the Community
Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira sharing art and culture with the community. Members of GLDC often participate in community events at schools, libraries and other community organizations to share, demonstrate, and play capoeira.
Playing Capoeira
Members of Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira playing in the roda. Multi-level students work together cooperatively to demonstrate their art to members of the community.
Roda
Members of Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira demonstrating their art to members of the community for Culture Night at Tuscan Elementary School in Maplewood, NJ.
Training Capoeira with Professora Amazonas & Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira
Students break into partner training during the 2019 Halloween roda with Professora Amazonas & Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira.
Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira - Music Training
Members of Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira practicing the instruments, rhythms, and songs of capoeira. Humor and play are sprinkled throughout the classes, from the music to the physical training.
Teaching and Learning in the Roda
Playing in the roda provides capoeiristas and students of capoeira to practice and apply the skills they learn while training and in classes and workshops, but also provide a hands-on opportunity to learn more. Here is an example of students helping…
Professora Amazonas & Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira - Halloween Roda
Students from Professora Amazonas' children's class participate in the 2019 Halloween roda. These rodas are held on the first Friday of every month and are often themed for celebrations like holidays and birthdays. At these rodas, students have a…
Gabriel Muñoz’s First Cuatro
The first cuatro of José Gabriel Muñoz
Gabriel Muñoz & Melodías Borinqueñas
Gabriel Muñoz & Melodías Borinqueñas performing at Rutgers University in 2018.
Celebrating Kwanzaa with Capoeira
Grupo Liberdade celebrating Kwanzaa with a roda at the 53rd Annual Harvest Festival of African Culture in Montclair, NJ.
Bye, Officer
The “officer” appears to break up a capoeira roda, but finds it disguised as samba instead and leaves the capoeiristas who quickly get back to training.
“What Is Going On Here?”
In Brazil, capoeira was once outlawed, to keep enslaved Africans from training for their liberation. Groups of practitioners added the music to cover the practice of martial arts and training with rhythms and dance. Students of Professora Amazonas…
Engaging the Community
Like many cultural arts traditions rooted in African culture, capoeira is a participatory art form. Traditionally, it is not performed on a stage or in front of an audience, but out in the community as a cultural practice and expression. In modern…
Playing in the Roda
Students from Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira’s academy in Vauxhall, NJ co-star in performances and demonstrations, sharing their skills and knowledge with the community.