Grupo Axé Capoeira has been performing worldwide since its beginnings in Brazil. The group made its Canadian debut at the Vancouver International Children’s Festival in 1990.

Featuring traditional capoeira music as well as upbeat Brazilian vocals and instrumentals, our performances showcase professional capoeiristas and dancers at the height of their skill.

With exciting choreographed dances, internationally acclaimed capoeira, high-flying acrobatics, invigorating music and dazzling costumes, Axé Capoeira performances have enthralled audiences of all ages and sizes at thousands of schools, festivals, and theatres across the globe.

MARACATU (mah-rah-kah-too) consists of a powerful, heavy rhythm accompanying a courtly procession representing coronation festivities surrounding the Congolese King and Queen in Brazil, who were elected by the Congolese people and served as symbolic figureheads with no real power. In addition to the royal entourage, the dance features a cast of traditional Afro-Brazilian goddesses, with divine costumes and choreography to match.

COCO DE RODA (kokoo-dee-rod-dah) is a typical dance from the beach regions of northeastern Brazil. Exhilarating vocals accompany colourful choreography based on steps and movements traditional to the indigenous Tupi people of Brazil. With a strong African drumming influence, the music primarily features a bass drum, snare drum, and tambourine.

MACULELÊ (mah-coo-leh-leh) is an Afro-Brazilian warrior dance created by African slave workers on the sugarcane plantations in Bahia, Northeast Brazil. The dance’s choreography and music is based on the movements and drum rhythms that emerged during harvest seasons, in which slaves used machetes to harvest the sugarcane. Though the dance may feature real machetes, sticks are often used as a safer alternative.

COLHEITA (col-i-heta), portrayed entirely by women, is a traditional dance representing the annual bean harvest in rural Brazil. Colourful and fl owing traditional skirts punctuate the dancer’s movements as they swing woven baskets to the music, symbolizing the collecting and sifting of beans.

AFRO (a-fro), like maculelê, originated among the slaves of Brazil’s colonial era. Its vitality comes from the mixture of steps and rhythms comprising a combination of African, Indigenous, and European influences. Rapid, free, and independent movement of the arms, chest, head, hips, and feet characteristically emphasize the dance’s rhythmical richness and mesmerizing energy.

SAMBA (sahm-bah) is one of the most popular and well-known dances from Brazil. Featuring a highly contagious rhythm, samba is usually seen during Carnival and Mardi Gras celebrations around the world.

The capoeira portion of our performances consists of solo acrobatic numbers as well as a demonstration of how the capoeira game is played in context. Depending on the audience and performer availability, a number of student types may be showcased in procession, from kids to adult beginners and longtime professionals.