In 2001, Mestre João Grande was honored as a National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellow. Only a few artists are selected each year for this prestigious award, which recognizes "lifetime achievement, artistic excellence, and contributions to our nation's traditional arts heritage", according to the Endowment's website. Here is an excerpt of an interview done with Janelle Ott of the NEA, upon Mestre's winning of the fellowship.
Q: Where and when did you get your inspiration to dance?
Grande: I was brought up the countryside of Itagí, in the southern part of Bahia, Brazil. I got my inspiration from watching nature and the animals. At the age of ten, I saw my first capoeira movement, called corta capim, which means "cutting the grass." The legs sweeps round and round the hand. I asked one of the capoeiristas, "What is this movement?" and he said "the dance of the Nagôs," which was a dance of black people, from the city of Salvador. Capoeira comes from all things natural. You can hear that in the songs too, you know, we sing about the rolling of the waves.
Q: What are the biggest challenges in practicing and sustaining your art form?
Grande: Everything is easy! Capoeira is "a good thing to eat." Like eating, I can't imagine life without it. It's almost the same as asking someone, "What's the most difficult thing about eating everyday?" It's so much a part of my life, it's the same to me as breathing. Capoeira is an art, a dance, a profession, and a culture. A capoeirista is a dancer, a poet, a singer, and a philosopher. It brings nothing but good for people's body and spirit.
Q: I'm glad to hear that it is easy because it looks so difficult!
Grande: The reputation that it's difficult is because not many people know how to teach it. Capoeira is for everyone: for men, for women, and for children - anyone who wants to can learn. The only people who can't learn are people who don't want to learn. Capoeira is very good for your life, your whole life.
Read the whole thing here.
No comments:
Post a Comment