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  • Tags: cultural arts

The process of making cords needs at least two people and a lot of patience. Here, Abelha steps in to hold the cord in place while Professora Amazonas smooths out a bump in the twist.

Professora Amazonas taking a knot out of the yarn in order to make a smooth cord. Capoeiristas try not to throw things away, but problem solve to have less waste.

Professora Amazonas begins making cords for GLDC’s annual batizado at least four months before the event. It is a long and tedious process to make the cords, not only because they represent hard work, dedication, responsibility, and community through…

Professora Amazonas and her student, Abelha, are working together to make cords for the 2020 Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira batizado.

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 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.

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.

Students break into partner training during the 2019 Halloween roda with Professora Amazonas & Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira.

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.

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…

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…

Dancing before the drums at the backyard bombazo in Carolina, Puerto Rico on the first night of the 5th Bomba Research Conference.

Bomba is family! Melanie Maldonado, founder of PROPA and organizer of the Bomba Research Conference with her children at a backyard bombazo held in Carolina, Puerto Rico the first night of the 5th Bomba Research Conference.

Backyard bombazo in Carolina, Puerto Rico on the first night of the 5th Bomba Research Conference.

Grupo Liberdade celebrating Kwanzaa with a roda at the 53rd Annual Harvest Festival of African Culture in Montclair, NJ.

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.

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…

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…

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.

Grupo Liberdade played capoeira to celebrate Kwanzaa and share with the community at the 53rd Annual Harvest Festival of African Culture in Montclair, NJ.

Professora Amazonas invites one of her students to play capoeira in the roda during Grupo Liberdade’s performance at the 53rd Annual Harvest Festival of African Culture Kwanzaa Celebration at the Montclair Public Library.

Professora Amazonas moving through the roda during Grupo Liberdades performance at the 53rd Annual Harvest Festival of African Culture Kwanzaa Celebration help at the Montclair Public Library.

Grupo Liberdade participated in the the 53rd Annual Harvest Festival of African Culture Kwanzaa Celebration at the Montclair Public Library. The bateria plays the berimbaus and percussion instruments that provide the rhythm and music for the roda and…

Professora Amazonas plays the berimbau at the at the 53rd Annual Harvest Festival of African Culture Kwanzaa Celebration at the Montclair Public Library. The berimbau is the instrument that sets the rules of the game for capoeira.
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