CAPOEIRA LUANDA
    From the roots and traditions of Mestre Jelon Viera we present Capoeira Luanda. Bringing to life and celebrating the Angolan roots that helped shape the exploding cultural art we now know as capoeira, Luanda celebrates and honors those Capoeristas that came before us, our mentors in the present and welcomes those who have yet to discover capoeira.

MESTRE JELON
    Jelon Vieira is the Founder and Artistic Director of Capoeira Foundation and DanceBrazil. He has earned much acclaim as a broadly talented choreographer, and a world renowned master and teacher of capoeira. Born in Bahia, Brazil, Mr. Vieira studied capoeira with the famous Mestres Bimba, Eziquiel, and Bobo.

    Since his arrival in the US in 1975, Mr. Vieira has catalyzed the growing interest in and understanding of Brazilian culture while simultaneously developing his own choreographic style that blends tradition Afro-Brazilian dance and North American modern dance. In 1976 he formed the Capoeiras of Bahia with Loremil Machado. Then, in 1977, Mr. Vieira founded DanceBrazil, and for the last 20 years has guided the company through breathtaking performances of capoeira and Afro-Brazilian dance.

MORE CAPOEIRA LUANDA LOCATIONS
Mestre Jelon - New York, NY - www.mestrejelon.com
C.Mestres Guerreiro & Apache - Brazil - www.capoeiraluanda.com.br Professor Borracha - Gainesville, FL - www.bcaeonline.org
Professor Esquilo Preto - Miami, FL - www.miamicapoeira.org
Instructor Tiba - New York, NY - www.tibacapoeira.com
Instructor Gafanhoto - Bradenton, FL - www.bradentoncapoeira.com
Instructor Gaviao - Denver, CO - www.capoeiradenver.com
Instructor Morcego - Webster, MA - www.masscapoeira.com
Inst. Pescador & Beija-flôr - St. Louis, MO - www.capoeirastl.org
Instructor Sabia - New York, NY - www.sabiacapoeira.com
Instructor Feijao - Austin, TX - www.austincapoeira.com
Instructor Carangueijo - San Antonio, TX - www.capoeiratexas.com
Monitor Guaxinim - Fresno, CA - www.capoeirafresno.com

INSTRUCTOR GRINGO
    In 1990, Instructor Gringo moved to Houston and begin his martial arts training. After a few years of practicing and teaching martial arts he decided to return to his Brazilian roots and began training Capoeira in 1997 with Mestre Dantas in Sao Paolo, Brazil. In 1998 he returned again and spent several more months fully immersing himself in Capoeira training. Studying not only the physical aspects of Capoeira but also the history and traditions of the art.

    In 1999 he met with Mestre Jelon Vieira in San Antonio, Texas and after a good conversation and the permission of Mestre Dantas, he decided that to continue to grow in Capoeira he needed to be with a Mestre in the USA.

    Training with Mestre Jelon gave him the opportunity to grow and be a part of the Grupo Capoeira Brasil family. The connection could not be better and with the support from Mestre Jelon and the group, his skill and technique quickly improved. He began to teach Capoeira classes in Houston while continously spreading awareness of Brazilian culture through event performances.

WHAT IS CAPOEIRA
    Capoeira is a truly unique sport: part dance and part fight. The capoeirista moves to the rhythm of the berimbau, an African string instrument, and as the tempo changes, so does the pace and energy of the game. Depending on your point-of-view, capoeira can be seen as a form of exercise, a fast and exciting sport, self-defense, or a game of strategy and survival.