Posts Tagged ‘suassuna teaching method’

Mestre Suassuna: his biography and take on Capoeira, styles, and today’s groups. 4/4

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

This is the final post on Mestre Suassuna’s biography, in it he covers his decision of moving to São Paulo, his difficulties as an interstate migrant and harsh times endeavouring to establish the practice of Capoeira in the South-east of Brazil.

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Mestre Suassuna: his biography and take on Capoeira, styles, and today’s groups. 3/4

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

Continuing the posts on Mestre Suassuna’s biography, in this third post he shares more of trips to Salvador and the cultural context of that time. He also shares his experience with the beginning of the folkloric groups, Capoeira Angola and Regional, and why he believes Mestres Pastinha and Bimba surpassed the others. (more…)

Mestre Suassuna: his biography and take on Capoeira, styles, and today’s groups. 2/4

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

This is the second post of the series on Mestre Suassuna’s life. It approaches his first trips to Salvador, contacts with other Mestres, and early take on Capoeira teaching in Itabuna. (more…)

Mestre Suassuna: his biography and take on Capoeira, styles, and today’s groups. 1/4

Friday, December 11th, 2009

This post on Mestre Suassuna’s life is a translation (made by me) from the chapter “Reynaldo Ramos Suassuna. Mestre Suassuna by himself” in Mestre Deputado’s book “Menino Quem foi teu Mestre?”(2004).

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Project Learning from Brazilian Culture: A Brief History, Profile and Guidelines

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Erica, João Grande, Fafá and Joãonete

Erica, João Grande, Fafá and Joãonete. By Fabrício Ferreira

Very often I am asked “- What is ‘Volta Por Cima’?”. Most people must be thinking I have started a new group or brand. That is not the case. Mestre Suassuna’s work inspired many of my endeavours in Capoeira, including the development of the social project Learning From Brazilian Culture. However, this project’s design reflects much of my personal grasp of Capoeira, and is based on other Mestres’ teachings, scholars and artists as well. Hence, I needed to start an independent institution, and that is how the ‘Volta Por Cima – Capoeira, Education, and Culture’ begun. I chose this name for two reasons. First, because it is a movement that embodies the principles of an elegant and skilful Capoeira so present in Mestre Suassuna’s teachings. Second, because in Brazilian Portuguese the expression ‘dando [doing] a Volta Por Cima’ also means recovering one’s life after being through a very troublesome period. A perfect name for a project designed to promote social inclusion. (more…)

Constructional Elements of our School's Political and Pedagogic Project

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

Photo by André Santangelo

João Grande doing a Volta Por Cima by André Santangelo

This letter was first written on the 17th of September of 2007 in Brasília, a few months before my departure to New Zealand. Despite some achievements, I am still developing the project together with our school’s students. However, I believe it is time to share these thoughts with a larger number of students and friends. Hopefully this letter will inspire some of you to join the ongoing composition of our school’s political and pedagogic guidelines, or at least to share some thoughts with us. (more…)

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