Today we’d like to introduce you to Mestre Mangueira DaSilva, Cecilia Cohn, Laura Waterman, and Brahma Becker.
Mestre, Cecilia, and Laura, please share your story with us.
I was born and raised in Bahia, Brazil, the birthplace of the Brazilian martial arts known as capoeira. I have been teaching capoeira in the United States since 1995. After working in several martial arts schools, I opened up my own capoeira school in 2006. My student base grew for the next several years.
In 2014, I partnered with 3 of my long time students to open Capo Capoeira in Coral Springs. Laura and Ceci run every aspect of the business side of the school. The school incorporates an afterschool program led and managed by Brahma and also offers a summer camp program. The school’s capoeira classes are now expanded to teach children as young as 3 years of age, with separate classes for kids, teens and adults. With my focus solely on teaching and with Ceci, Laura, and Brahma’s expertise, the school’s student base has grown exponentially and continues to soar.
Our students are an intricate part of our success. We have students that are now Professors and Instructors that dedicate their time to assist me.
Not many people know about this amazing martial art and our mission is to spread capoeira throughout South Florida and beyond.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a fairly smooth road so far. Of course, we have had bumps, problems to solve and have learned a great deal along the way. However, we believe our success stems from our amazing team. We work together like yins and yangs. Each of us applies our expertise to run the school in the most efficient way. When one of us is out for whatever reason, the others step up to fulfill their duties.
Please tell us about Capo Capoeira.
Capo Capoeira is a complete capoeira school. We teach only the martial art of capoeira which incorporates music and a rich history.
I have been teaching for many years and has positively affected many lives in my journey. Students I taught as children have come back years later to continue their training as adults.
They are now bringing their own kids to learn from me. I am sought after for my method of teaching and my devotion to capoeira.
We believe our family atmosphere and energy is what really sets us apart. Students at Capo Capoeira become part of a big family from the moment they start training. The purpose behind our school is to share our love for capoeira and for our students to grow and continue this amazing art.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory as a child is learning capoeira in Brazil comes from my home’s backyard.
Capoeira’s main instrument, and symbol of capoeira, is a one stringed 5′ instrument constructed with wood, a single wire and a gourd named berimbau. I could not afford to buy a new one and decided to collect whatever I could find to build my own.
Out of a large can of beans and the wire from my school notebook, I cut down a branch from my mother’s guava tree and assembled my own. It was with this that I would sit down for hours at a time every day to learn to play. I always say “where there is a will, there is a way!
Pricing:
- We offer flexible training options starting at $55/ month.
Contact Info:
- Address: 8256 Wiles Road,
Coral Springs, FL 33067 - Website: www.capo.rocks
- Phone: 954-755-9424
- Email: info@capo.rocks
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capocapoeira
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/capo.rocks/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/capo_capoeira
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/capo-capoeira-coral-springs
Image Credit:
Muary Nipris
Gabriel Cuesta
Cecilia Cohn
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