Alana Swar was deeply moved by the sound of capoeira.
When she saw the children singing in unison and performing a combination of martial arts and dance in the Capoeira Volta ao Mundo circle, she knew she wanted to be a part of it.
“It was so beautiful. It was so powerful,” said Swar, 40. “I thought, 'I have to do this. I don't know what I'm doing, but I want to do it.'”
A year and a half ago, she decided to become a student at the academy along with her children.
Mestre Ronnie Costa, a local resident who founded the school in 1996, said capoeira was virtually nonexistent in Sarasota at one time.
But as Sarasota's preeminent capoeira practice, Capoeira Volta ao Mundo has raised awareness of the Afro-Brazilian martial art within the community and gained international fame in the capoeira world.
In addition to two locations in Sarasota and one in Lakewood Ranch, the company also has stores in Tallahassee, Miami, four other U.S. states and Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Spreading the tradition
Costa, who grew up in Brazil, the birthplace of capoeira, was surrounded by the martial art and became a capoeira teacher at the age of 18 and a mestre (master) at the age of 26.
But when he came to the United States in 1992, he found that very few people practiced capoeira.
At the time, there were only about 10 in the entire state of California where he lived, and they were little known to the general public.
Heidi Ayala and Nina Costa enter Roda.
“They didn't even know how to pronounce the word,” he said.
He opened an academy in California, but it ultimately remained small, so around 1996 he decided to relocate to Sarasota and try again.
At the time he was working as a woodworker and he began to realise that capoeira was his true calling.
“Capoeira is a great vehicle for improvement, for self-improvement,” he says. “It embraces all of your problems, how hard it is to go to class, how hard it is to stay in shape, how hard it is to stay flexible, how hard it is to get knocked down and deal with your ego.”
Resistance Movement
The martial art dates back to the early colonial period in Brazil in the 16th century, when it was developed by enslaved Africans as a form of physical and psychological rebellion against their Portuguese oppressors.
It's a form of combat disguised as a dance.
“The spirit of capoeira, at its very essence, is resistance against oppression,” said Jacob Sturm, an instructor at the academy known as Professor Fogo. “That's what capoeira was created for. That's what it's been doing throughout history.”
Jason Gomez plays with Luis Buenrostro
Even after slavery was abolished in Brazil in 1888, those who practiced capoeira remained oppressed and, in fact, capoeira was criminalized in Brazil throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.
Capoeira has many characteristics that set it apart from other martial arts.
One is that the emphasis is on dodging rather than on contact, giving the performance an almost choreographic feel.
Participants also maintain a distinctive footwork, often acrobatic, movement with successive swaying steps called “ginga.”
“Capoeira is totally different because you have to be an artist,” Costa says. “You have to know the music, you have to know how to flip, you have to have the skill. It's not a martial art at all. You would never do that to defend yourself, but you can still defend yourself with it.”
Costa also calls capoeira “a fairly complex martial art.”
Tai Lodokuy, 27, started taking up capoeira at age eight and has enjoyed the diverse experience.
Mestre's Cheri Costa, Ty Rodkui, Jacob Sturm (Fogo professor), Mestre's Rony Costa and Nina Costa play instruments during the loader.
“I did other martial arts, but they were too tough for me,” he says. “This one is a little more free, you can do a lot more. I've gotten better at a lot of things in everyday life. I'm less clumsy, I can take better care of myself. … I've also done a lot of sports, which has helped me in sports.”
“It brightens my mood. It challenges me in so many ways. I feel like it helps my brain development and I always leave here feeling connected, energized and just really happy,” said Heidi Ayala, 42.
The teachers at Capoeira Volta ao Mundo want to show that despite, and perhaps because of, the challenges that come with capoeira, it can offer talent to anyone willing to put in the effort.
In fact, it was the school’s introduction of before-school and after-school programs that skyrocketed the academy’s success.
Through its service, CapoKids, the Academy offers a state-sanctioned, state-funded, independent preschool program that incorporates capoeira into its curriculum, as well as after-school programs and summer camps.
The academy employs 15 full-time staff members who also teach at 13 elementary schools in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
Alana Sworr with Noah Lewis
The person who was instrumental in establishing and running this school is Mestra Sheri Costa, the wife of Ronnie Costa, who has been practicing capoeira since 1982.
“She's definitely the one who grows the business,” Ronnie Costa says, “She makes sure everything is running smoothly and everything is going well. I have the ideas for the classes, but she's the one who basically grows everything and pays everyone.”
Very few capoeira groups have their own dedicated space, and even fewer have multiple locations in the same city, Sturm said.
Accept the challenge
What is it about a multifaceted practice like capoeira that allows so many people to achieve it?
“You have to change your body to do capoeira, but you can change it to suit your body,” Sturm said. “With every move we do, if there's something you can't do, there's an alternative. I've taught 3-year-olds and I've taught 83-year-olds. There's no one who can't do capoeira.”
Sheri Costa said embracing failure along the way can be an important part of the experience.
Jacob Sturm (Professor Foggo) performs with Krista Feinberg
“I love what capoeira does for people,” she says, “and when they fail enough times, they realize it's okay to fail. Especially kids, they start off with, 'I can't do this,' and then all of a sudden they can do it and they realize, 'Oh, I can do difficult things, and it's okay if I can't do it at first.'”
Lecturers say the key to achieving success is for students to feel supported every step of the way.
“Getting in shape is hard. Trying new things is hard,” Ronnie Costa says, “so it makes it a lot easier when you have a system, people, a community that helps you with that. People that make you feel like you belong, people that make you feel welcome, people that make you feel like you're part of a team.”
Krista Feinberg, 18, believes the school accomplished that goal.
“The people in the community have helped me become who I want to be. Everyone was pretty much equally involved in raising me and everyone here is my family,” she said.
