Mestre Poloca
Week-Long Capoeira Angola Workshops with Mestre PolocaLast Friday, October 3, Grupo Nzinga held a roda with the presence of many invited guests to start the celebrations for yet another year of Mestra Janja. It was a beautiful roda followed by a great party with a cake and lots of guaraná. The kids had a great time and I did too.Thanks M Poloca. What an amazing resource he is creating. And thanks to Fabio for the link.
On the following day, the 4th, Janja’s actual birthday, she went to her home town of Feira de Santana to celebrate with her family. She was born on the same day as her brother, although not in the same year. She was born the following year. For twelve years she lived in São Paulo and in part for the Nzinga, she became a citizen of São Paulo. In June 2006, she returned to Bahia.
Over the past few months, she served as a Professor of Education at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBa) until she was invited by Secretary Luiza Bairros to be a part of her governing team, where she co-ordinates one of the departments of the Secretary of the Promotion of Racial Equality (Secretaria da Promoção da Igualdade Racial, Sepromi ). She already was a powerful woman, now no one can stand in her way. In another post, we talked about the nomination of Mestre Paulinha for the direction of the Center for Afro-Oriental Studies at UFBa, a post she will assume on October 22. To sum it up, the mestras of Nzinga have it all. Who can stop them now?
... There is much syncretism in capoeira, as it is common to hear references to the orixás, nkisis, caboclos, and Catholic saints in its musical repertory…
… The three berimbaus of capoeira are saluted and revered by the mestres, contramestres, and students exactly as the three atabaques of candomblé are revered by the Taata Dya Nkisi, Makotas, Mwaana Nkisi, and other faithful. In their own way, each has the liturgic function that expresses the messages that extrapolate the conscious dimension of existence, creating a link between the sacred and secular. On the part of the songs destined to capoeira corridos, there are the songs of opening, developing, and closing the ritual, which correspond in candomblé to the songs for the santo to “descer” [come down] and to “subir” [go up]. The pé do berimbau is a space where the gesture is sacred. It is in the roda that the sacred dimension expresses itself in the most clear way in the corporal repertory of the capoeirista. In Capoeira Angola, dancing, playing, joking, and fighting translate into possibilities to establish communication on a more subjective and abstract level. This sacred dimension requires a long process of teaching-learning. In the African culture, the body and the spirit are not viewed as different or separated entities. In candomblé, for example, the spiritual entity needs a “body” (material) to express itself. In Capoeira Angola, it is the body that needs the ngunzo to attain its highest form of expression.
Before initiating a game, capoeiristas, through their gestures, invoke sacred protection (the sign of the cross, the five points of Saloman, and others). The roda is the ritual space and the body is the sanctuary of the sacred. Within this is the dynamic of communication, of the redistribution of ngunzo, of the existence and vigor of the cosmic rules contained with capoeira. The secret should not be the privilege of the mestre alone, but students must deserve it…
… In closing, just as in candomblé, in capoeira, the learning process never ends. According to Makota Valdina Pinto, “one can only truly be great when one knows how to be small.”
Mestre Poloca: workshop, discussion, & roda
FICA-DC presents a special training weekend with Mestre Poloca & Mestre Paulinha
Here is some information on an upcoming event with Mestre Poloca in Berlin. Besides movement and music classes, it looks like the storytelling workshops relate to an earlier post we did celebrating the "Malungos" event in Salvador in which we presented an article about M Poloca's work as an arte-educador. I hope we can do something similar in the U.S. while M Poloca is here. It is such a unique and creative way to get children interested in Capoeira Angola, especially for children outside of Brazil where there is little to no knowledge of Capoeira. Enjoy!Mestre Poloca of Grupo Nzinga de Capoeira Angola de Salvador is coming to Berlin!!!A big thanks to Lars for the translation German->English.
We're taking this opportunity to cordially invite all Capoeiristas from Berlin and everybody else interested.
When: November 23 - 25, 2007
Where: Academia Jangada for Capoeira Angola and Brazilian Dance - Torstraße
109, 10119 Berlin & A Livraria, Torstraße 159, 10115 Berlin for the presentation and discussion
Costs: Below, with payment information
Program
Thursday 11/22
5:00 pm - 7 pm: Story Workshop "When Queen Nzinga was a Child" with M. Poloca @ A Livraria
Friday 11/23
4:15 pm – 5:00 pm: Arrival, Registration, Change of Clothes
5:00 pm - 6:50 pm: Capoeira Angola Practice with M. Poloca
6:50 pm - 7:30 pm: Practice Roda
8:15 pm: Presentation and Discussion "The Process of Reaffirmation of Capoeira Angola in Bahia and around the World since the 1980s" @ A Livraria
Brazilian Snacks (Coxinhas) & Drinks!!!!
Saturday 11/24
9:15 am – 10:00 am: Arrival, Registration, Change of Clothes
10:00 am – 11.50 am: Capoeira Angola Training with M. Poloca
12.00 am – 1:50 pm: Contemporary Dance meets Capoeira with Ricardo de Paula
2:00 pm – 2:50 pm: Frevo e Maracatú with Carlos
3:00 pm – 4:50 pm: Capoeira Angola Training with M. Poloca
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm: Story Workshop "When Vincente Pastinha was still a Child" with M. Poloca
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm: Music with M. Rosalvo
7:00 pm: Roda
Sunday 11/25
10:00 am - 11:50 am: Musica with M. Poloca
Contemporary Dance meets Capoeira with Ricardo de Paula
12.00 noon - 1:50 pm: Capoeira Angola Training with M. Poloca
2:00 pm - 14:50 pm: Frevo e Maracatú with Carlos
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Roda
5:00 pm: Brazilian Bean Stew Feijoada!!!!
Costs:
Before 11/16
Friday - Sunday: 65.00 €
Saturday - Sunday: 55.00 €
After 11/16
Friday - Sunday: 75.00 €
Saturday - Sunday: 65.00 €
One Day Only: 35.00 € / 40.00 €
Participation for Children at the Story Workshops: 3.50 €
Electronic Wire:
Capoeira Angola e. V.
Postbank Berlin
BLZ 100 100 10 [routing n#]
Kto-Nr. 67 22 33 107 [account #]
Please indicate purpose of payment: "Workshop M. Poloca"
Details:
Don't forget your instruments, clothes, and clean shoes to wear inside.
If you're from outside Berlin and register by 11/16 we can arrange a
place for you to sleep. Don't forget your sleeping bag and foam sleeping pad/air mattress.
Reception of your payment counts as registration. Early registration is recommended, because there is a limited number of spots for participants.
We'll be selling tickets for the feijoada on Sunday for 3.50 €.
Program is subject to change. Please check the following websites for updates and more detailed information.
Grupo Vadiação
Grupo Filhos de Angola
Grupo N'Zinga
Or, contact:
CM Susy, Grupo Vadiação, T 4495738 or info(at)jangada(dot)com
Tina, Grupo Nzinga, T 691 34 18 or tina.schenck(at)gmx(dot)de
Trenél Andrea, Grupo Filhos de Angola, T 78891720 or andreafanger(at)gmx(dot)de
MESTRE POLOCA (Grupo Nzinga de Capoeira Angola de Salvador) kommt nach BERLIN!!!
Wir nutzen das als Anlass, freundschaftlich alle Capoeiristas aus Berlin und alle Interessierten zusammen zu bringen.
Wo und Wann
23. – 25. November 2007
Academia Jangada für Capoeira Angola und bras. Tanz, Torstr. 109, 10119 Berlin
A Livraria, Torstr. 159, 10115 Berlin für den Vortrag mit Diskussionsrunde
Programm
Do 22.11.
17.00- 19.00 Geschichten-Werkstatt "Als die Königin Nzinga ein Kind war" mit M. Poloca
In "A Livraria".
Fr 23.11.
16.15 – 17.00 Ankommen, Anmelden, Umziehen
17.00 – 18.50 Capoeira Angola Training mit M. Poloca
18.50 - 19.30 Trainings-Roda
20.15 Vortrag mit Diskussionsrunde "Der Prozess der Reaffirmation der Capoeira Angola in Bahia und in der Welt ab den Achtziger Jahren".
In "A Livraria".
Brasilianische Snacks (Coxinhas) und Getränke genau dort!!!!
Sa 24.11.
09.15 – 10.00 Ankommen, Anmelden, Umziehen
10.00 – 11.50 Capoeira Angola Training mit M. Poloca
12.00 – 13.50 Contemporary Dance meets Capoeira mit Ricardo de Paula
14.00 – 14.50 Frevo e Maracatú mit Carlos
15.00 – 16.50 Capoeira Angola Training mit M. Poloca
17.00 – 18.30 Geschichten-Werkstatt "Als Vicente Pastinha noch Kind war" mit M. Poloca
18.00 - 19.00 Musik mit M. Rosalvo
19.00 hs Roda
So 25.11.
10.00 - 11.50 hs Musik mit M. Poloca
Contemporary Dance meets Capoeira mit Ricardo de Paula
12.00 - 13.50 hs Capoeira Angola Training mit M. Poloca
14.00 - 14.50 hs Frevo e Maracatú mit Carlos
15.00 - 17.00 hs Roda
17.00 hs Brasilianisches Bohnengericht Feijoada!!!!
Preise
Bezahlung bis 16.11.
Fr – So: 65,- €
Sa – So: 55,- €
Ein Tag nur: 35,- €
Bezahlung nach 16.11.
Fr – So: 75,- €
Sa – So: 65,- €
Ein Tag nur: 40,- €
Banküberweisung
Capoeira Angola e. V.
Postbank Berlin
BLZ 100 100 10
Kto-Nr. 67 22 33 107
Verwendungszweck Workshop M. Poloca
Details
Vergiß nicht deine Instrumente, Sportsachen und Hallenturnschuhe, gelle?
Für Leute von außerhalb Berlins:
Wenn du dich bis zum 16.11 einschreibst, wird für dich bei Bedarf ein Schlafplatz organisiert. Denk bitte an Schlafsack und Isomatte.
Einschreibung gilt ab Geldeingang auf das Konto. Vorzeitige Anmeldung wird empfohlen, wegen begrenzterTeilnehmerplätze.
Feijoada am Sonntag: Bon-Verkauf am Samstag (3,50 €)
Programmänderungen sind nicht ausgeschlossen. Zur Orientierung, Aktualisierung und detaillierten Information über Akteure und Angebote:
www.jangada.com
www.filhosdeangola.de
www.nzinga.org.br
Kinder
Teilnahme an der Geschichten-Werkstatt 3,50 €
Organisation
CM Susy, Grupo Vadiação, T 4495738 info(at)jangada.com
Tina, Grupo Nzinga, T 691 34 18 tina.schenck(at)gmx.de
Trenél Andrea, Grupo Filhos de Angola, T 78891720 andreafanger(at)gmx.de
Another connection that I establish using Capoeira as pedagogy, is through the use of a story that I adapted from the real life of the famous Mestre Vincente Ferreira Pastinha, the greatest figure in Capoeira Angola...
It is the story of one of the greatest legends of capoeira, with which other black children in Brazil can identify.
While I tell the short story, the children are called to play the parts. In the beginning, nobody is obliged to say anything. .. Because many of the scenes are repeated, the children soon realize that they have to speak and in the end, some even dare to improvise, as was the case with a boy named Manú, about 5 or 6 years old, in Brasília. In truth, the idea to tell the history of “Little Vincent” came from him…
… He loved it and kept asking that I tell him the story every time we met. The following day, I would give a story and capoeira workshop with children. I decided to tell the story of “Little Vincent” this time with the help of the young boy, Manú, who soon took the main role. After, the boy Tigor, 12 years old, student of Nzinga/SP, took the part of Honorato, and from there, the other children took the rest of the parts—the evil mother, the teacher, the friend, and Benedito- creating a real dramatization of this story. We closed with the ritual of a capoeira roda, a magical moment in which we played music and capoeira.