This capoeira school offers classes for all levels
Photographs: courtesy Capoeira Mandinga
Time to test your flexibility. Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that has existed since the 16th century. The art has a rich cultural history and encompasses not only acrobatics, dance and other complex movements but also musical instruments and song. Capoeira Mandinga Shanghai is a capoeira school founded here in 2007 where you can practise and learn more about the sport.
The school is led by instructor Nico Usé, who hosts weekly classes ranging from beginner to advanced levels, each about two hours long. Sessions start off with a little singing and practice on the instruments. (Don’t worry if you’re not the musical type; it’s all about the feeling.) After that, you’ll move on to stretches and warm-up exercises before the real action.
In Monday’s beginner class – or ‘fundamentals’ class – you’ll practise basic kicks and dodges, while the more advanced class on Tuesdays kicks things up a notch with more complex movements. Thursday’s class ‘Flow and Floreiros’ is open to all levels and covers the overall flow of a capoeira match. Finally, Saturday’s class focuses more on the musical aspect of the art.
Classes are generally 150RMB each (the first class is free), though beginner classes are on special from now until Spring Festival 2020 for 100RMB for three classes.
📍Shanghai Capoeira Mandinga, Second Floor, 168 Zhenning Lu, near Yanan Lu. Follow WeChat ID ‘CapoeiraShanghai’ for full schedule and pricing details.
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