Product Description

WHAT IS CAPOEIRA? -- Capoeira is a martial art, developed in Brazil by African slaves more than 400 years ago. It is an all-incompassing art, blending blending music, dance, singing, acrobatics, play, and self defense. All these come together into a unique, cohesive whole. Capoeira is the most physical of all the arts. As a form of excercise, Capoeira engages all muscles groups, helps develop flexibility, balance, coordination, and endurance, and offers significant toning and cardiovascular benefits. Accessible to persons of any age and body type, Capoeira is much more than a martial art: It engages practitioners on a social level as well, placing them in touch with a living tradition and a rich historic heritage. THE CAPOEIRA WORKOUT -- Created by Paula Verdino, aka Instrutora Pimentinha, The Capoeira Workout is an open-level program, including both a step-by-step breakdown of many classic capoeira moves and a full set of non-stop high-energy workout sequences. The workout sections progress from isolated movements with transitional steps in between to graceful dance-like combinations. The program also includes Capoeira solo performance by Paula and Capoeira game demonstrations by Paula and her assistants, Lara Silva and Marie Viggiano. THE MUSIC -- The rhythm of the capoeira game is determined by specific musical instruments and songs. All the music heard in The Capoeira Workout comes from the original capoeira musical recordings of Mestre Bimba (Manoel dos Reis Machado), as heard in his famous release, Mestre Bimba e a Voz do Berimbau, licensed via the Fundação Mestre Bimba, Salvador, Brasil.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36333 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-07-10
• Rating: Exempt
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 45 minutes

Review
Me and my husband tried this video for the first time and we loved it!!! Paula Verdino is an amazing instructor who provided clear instructions on the different types of techinques. I definitely apprecipated the background and history of Capoeira and its music. The warm up was very good and the workout was intense, even a cave man can do it! Although the video was short we are hopeful that there will be a series to follow. This is a great video for beginners, who which to learn more about what makes Capoeira such an amazing sport in Brasil and around the world. --amazon.com (US)

About the Actor
Paula Verdino, aka Instrutora Pimentinha was born in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. She began training as a capoeirista under professor Sabia, the world-renowned capoeira teacher and practitioner of the GINGA MUNDO capoeira group. Paula Verdino fell in love with the martial art and dedicated herself to capoeira, full time. She achieved the rank of "Graduada," allowing her to teach, and participated in many projects in Brazil working with underprivileged children and adults while teaching capoeira in public and private schools. Paula Verdino won "Best Female Overall" at the World Capoeira Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and competing again one year later won "Best In Rank" among all male and female competitors. After being brought to a capoeira event in New York as a special guest, Paula was quickly offered the opportunity to open her own classes in the city. Today Paula has received the Instructor rank and teaches regularly in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Long Island, and also travels widely, leading workshops and capoeira events across the US, as well as in France, Sweden, Portugal, and elsewhere.

Customer Reviews

Short and Snappy!
I watched this DVD for the first time today and tried out the warm-up and two workout sections.

The DVD is broken up into lots of little bits; 2 are about the history of capoiera and the instructor biography. Four focus on the movements and comprise a section breaking down the moves and, a warm-up and two workouts.

All in all that means that the time given over to the viewer doing capoeira is pretty meager. Having said that, it does mean that there's less to get the hang of and the moves are broken down quite clearly by Paula in the techniques section. Most of it is leg-based and some of the moves are quite complicated (e.g cartwheel)and not really explained during the workout itself. It certainly does get the heart rate up and makes a difference from tired aerobics and pilates routines.
If she did another instalment, I'd buy it!

NB: For those hard of hearing or people who giggle at silly accents; Paula isn't always the clearest speaker and has a pronounced Brazilian twang which makes 'slaves' sound like 'ladies'. You also have to learn the names of the moves pretty quickly because she starts using them from the get-go.