Afro Brazilian Cultural Center of NJ
Art Form(s):Artist Statement
Our troupe tells the story of Africans brought to Brazil as slaves. To alleviate the suffering and preserve their identity they maintained their religious rituals, dances and fighting arts that gradually became part of the culture of Bahia, Brazil.
Our troupe of dancers, musicians, and singers performs a repertory based on a “Bahian” folkloric dances of African origin and includes Capoeira (a martial art disguised as a dance), Samba, Maculêlê and other dances that celebrate the Afro-Brazilian spirit. The company presents Bahia’s most important cultural manifestations under a contemporary theatrical vision that reflects its magnificent origins.
Artist Bio
Mestre Gaivota:
(David Morgan), has been practicing martial arts since the age of six. After training Tai Kwon Do as a child he took up Shotokan as a teenager. In college he began learning Enshin which is a full contact style of karate. As a Black Belt in Enshin he competed in several bare-knuckle, knock down tournaments and placed in all of them. He was first introduced to Capoeira in 1999 and began teaching classes at the NJ Capoeira Arts Center in 2003.
Gaivota graduated to the level of Instructor in 2005 with Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira and was graduated to Professor in 2007, Contramestre in 2014 & Mestre in 2018 Capoeira Guerreiros. In 2006 Mestre Gaivota opened the Afro Brazilian Cultural Center of New Jersey. During his career in Capoeira, Gaivota has traveled to many countries as well as states sharing his love of the game at Batizados, workshops and events. The Afro Brazilian Cultural Center of New Jersey is dedicated to promoting and teaching Capoeira as a living example of Brazilian folklore and culture.
Professor Pele began training Capoeira in 2003 with Mestre Gaivota. He began teaching for the Afro-Brazilian Cultural Center in Afterschool programs in Newark in 2007. He is currently a full time Capoeira teacher at the Center and responsible for the Capoeira Club at Columbia University.
Randy Brathwaite, Professor Chapa started training Capoeira in 2000 in Bloomfield, N.J. with Mestre Glauber of AU Capoeira. In 2006 he instructed for Parks Theatre in Union City, N.J with the supervision of his Mestre. He is currently teaching for The Afro Brazilian Cultural Center of New Jersey in Montclair & Newark as well as running his own Capoeira studio in Jersey City.
Professor Carcaju (Adam Chase) started training in martial arts in 1990 at the age of 7 in Tae Kwon Do. In March of 2003 Carcaju began training Capoeira in RI with Mestrando Tigri of Grupo Ondas. In 2007 he began training with Mestre Gaivota in Capoeira Guerreiros. Carcaju graduated to Instrutor in 2014 with Mestre Gaivota. He has been teaching at the Afro-Brazilian Cultural Center of New Jersey under Mestre Gaivota since 2014.
Andrene Bryan puts a spicy carribean flavor on Zumba making it impossible to not shake every part of your body to the beats. Come and dance(hall) with her in our Saturday Zumba class.
Deborah Ovalles is a dance teacher and personal trainer with a degree in Exercise Science from William Paterson University. She is the Director of the Dynamic Performance Studio which provides an environment to expand, explore, and engaged in health, fitness and dance creativity. So tap into new Dynamics in your life and see what Fits for you.
