Federal University of Bahia teaches Capoeira and has some interesting characters. Therefore, it’s vital that we mention important teachers who have taught Capoeira there. Such teachers include Professor Hélio Campos (Mestre Xaréu) who is a disciple of master Bimba; and Professor Amélia Conrado who is a capoeirista Angoleira.
Amélia Vitória de Souza Conrado is a Capoeirista from the Brazilian state of Pernambuco who was born on October 8, 1962 in the city of Boa vista, capital of the state of Roraima in the north of Brazil. She is the mother of three children and married to Ricardo Barreto Biriba. Amélia grew up in the capital of Pernambuco and currently lives in Salvador, the capital of Bahia, where she completed her master's and doctorate at the Federal University of Bahia.
Amélia first came in contact with capoeira during her undergraduate studies at the Federal University of Pernambuco, interested in Afro dance, she attended the black art ballet of Pernambuco, and soon moved to Bahia because it was the reference point for Capoeira in the World.
Amélia was named as Cabloca in roda de Capoeira, and her main influencers in capoeira are Mestra Janja and Paulinha. She was a teacher at the Federal University of Bahia where she taught Capoeira, and is currently a teacher at the Federal University of Bahia's School of Dance.
In 2006 Amélia completed her doctorate at the Federal University of Bahia, where she defended her thesis: "Capoeira Angola and Afro-Dance: contributions to a multicultural education policy in Bahia" and was approved by the examining board made up of Professors Edivaldo Machado Boaventura, Celi Taffarel, Kabengele Munanga, Elias Lins Guimares. In this thesis Amélia Conrado ventures into researching Angolan Capoeira schools in the state of Bahia, as well as afro dance schools, since the afro dance is also present in the capoeira game. However, one of the main objectives of this thesis is to show the potential of capoeira and afro dance in the educational system, bringing to light the history of capoeira as a nucleus of resistance of black culture and maintenance of its own values and wisdom that opens the doors to opportune the social ascension in Brazil, enabling the formation of new capoeiristas, masters, and new schools of capoeira.
Amélia Conrado is a professional who masters knowledge of the main components of Capoeira; Ginga, roda, blows, musical instruments and extensive knowledge of the philosophy and culture of Capoeira, values such as respect, companionship, solidarity, cooperation are practiced constantly during Capoeira classes, because they are part of the training process of the capoeirista as well as the physical education teacher and capoeira masters.
As an Angoleira Capoeirista, Doctor Amélia Conrado represents the three most respected types of Capoeira which are widely spread by the great Capoeira schools of Bahia.
Capoeira Angola which preserves characteristics of the African ancestry brought by the enslaved, in this sense Capoeira Angola is essentially a practice of manifestation and resistance of black culture;
Capoeira Regional, which gains more elements of the fight, with didactic systematics to improve the blow and plasticity, created by Manoel dos Reis Machado better known as Mestre Bimba.
Lastly Contemporary Capoeira, which has new elements introduced by students who wish to make a new version of the game and its elements.
Capoeira regional was sporterized and internationalised, and in 2015 the institute of racial advocacy intended to obtain the recognition of Capoeira as an Olympic sport for exhibition and filed a writ of mandamus that was rejected by the minister of the Supreme Federal Court, Celso de Mello.
The issue of sportsmanship in capoeira is controversial; Professor Amélia Conrado is against the attempt to make Capoeira a competitive and Olympic sport, because the competition brings a reductionist perspective of the essential values of capoeira, transforming it into a market product that distances itself from the philosophy of capoeira, which is more consistent in the act of playing with the other and not playing against the other, besides problematising the score of extremely subjective aspects of the game.
If you would like to learn more about Capoeira studies be sure to check AmÈlia Conrado .