The Capoeira Foundation, embodying the artistic vision of Jelon Vieira, strives to unite people of all backgrounds in study and celebration of Afro-Brazilian culture and the art of Capoeira. The foundation supports DanceBrazil, a professional company of dancers and musicians, renowned for a unique and breathtaking choreographic style fusing Capoeira, Afro-Brazilian dance forms and contemporary dance. DanceBrazil commissions new work by Jelon Vieira and guest artists and provides cultural exchange through workshops and performances that serve communities in New York City, the nation, and abroad.

Description and/or History:
Jelon Vieira and the late Loremil Machado were the first artists to bring traditional Afro-Brazilian dance and Capoeira to the United States. In 1977, Vieira founded DanceBrazil after evolving from grass-roots workshops at the Clark Center for the Arts in NYC. Alvin Ailey joined the board of directors in 1980 and helped focus the company’s objectives on its ability to speak to a broad North American community. Within a few years, DanceBrazil premiered at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall. In 1985, DanceBrazil premiered Orfeo Negro at the Riverside Dance Festival to critical and popular acclaim.

DanceBrazil has since thrilled audiences throughout the world with its dazzling artistry, which is inspired by the cultural tapestry of Brazil. Whether in the streets or on stage in the most prestigious theaters, the dancers and musicians of DanceBrazil never fail to enthrall audiences with the company’s unique fusion of Afro-Brazilian movement, contemporary dance and Capoeira, the traditional dance/martial arts form that had its origins in Africa and evolved in colonial Brazil as a means of fighting enslavement.

Contact person: Kristin Young, General Manager, (212) 382-0555, (email)

Address:

246 W 38th Street, 8th Floor New York, NY 10018 (See a map)