Capoeira: From Crime to Culture

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art played in Brazil. Capoeira combines dance, acrobatics, music, and spirituality into one practice.

The fundamental movement of capoeira is the ginga, a rhythmic sidestep. Players move inside a roda, a ceremonial circle.

A judicial document first mentioned capoeira as a crime in 1789. Dancing was apparently the most dangerous felony.

Capoeira was officially banned as a crime in Brazil.

Mestre Bimba reformed traditional capoeira in the early 1930s. He established standardized teaching sequences for capoeira regional.

The Brazilian government legalized capoeira in 1937 as a national sport. Outlawed kicks make excellent physical education.

Trailblazers brought capoeira to the US and Europe in the late 1970s. Today it's practiced worldwide.

UNESCO granted capoeira special protected status as intangible cultural heritage in 2014.