Senzala Seattle's photostream

Senzala Seattle was started by Instructors Risco and Neve in 2003 and is part of the Grupo Senzala de Capoeira founded by Mestre Gato in Rio de Janeiro in the 1960s.

Capoeria is a Brazilian art form that combines ritualized fighting, with the fluidity of dance and breathtaking acrobatics, all to the rhythm of an ensemble of traditional Afro-Brazilian instruments. Capoeira arose amid the slaves brought from Africa to Brazil, both as a means of self-defense against their enslavers and as a means of creating a common cultural reference within the multi-ethnic African slave community.

Senzala Seattle's teaching emphasizes a strong technical foundation and exposure to a rich variety of movements to help students realize their potential and develop their own voice within the art form. One of the most important lessons that can be learned from capoeira is respect, for oneself and for others.