WFAC Exhibit Event: Capoeira & Breakdancing: The Fight Against Enslavement

475 Valley St,Providence RI 02908

13 August, 2021

Description

Mestre Tigri (Silas Pinto) and Grupo Ondas presents a program on Capoeira and its history from its African roots to South America. Mestre Tigri (Silas Pinto) and Grupo Ondas presenting a program on Capoeira and its history from its African roots to South America via Portuguese colonization and its evolution to be a triumphant response to enslavement. Further explorations of its synergistic relationship to Breakdancing will be examined with colleagues from RI and MA including Project 401, Donnie Battle, and Taylor Lomba. Capoeira will be demonstrated in-person, along with the Afro-Brazilian music forms associated with Capoeira. Capoeira and this event will be celebrating the art of resistance, tenacity and resiliency of peoples that refused to be defined by their bleak circumstances. This WFAC program is part of exhibition related programming presented by WaterFire Providence in association with the current exhibition at the WaterFire Arts Center, “EYE TO EYE Photographs and Projects MARY BETH MEEHAN” and “ANNYE RAYE PITTS: WITNESS” an installation by Mary Beth Meehan and Jonathan Pitts-Wiley, open until August 22, 2021. For a full listing of programming visit, waterfire.org/eyetoeye-programming. The program is funded in part by the Rhode Island Foundation. Presented in cooperation with Leadership Rhode Island. Capoeira is an art form that involves movement, music and elements of practical philosophy. One experiences the essence of capoeira by ‘playing’ a physical game called the Jogo de Capoeira (game of capoeira) or simply ‘jogo‘. During this ritualized combat, two capoeiristas (players of capoeira) exchange movements of attack and defense in a constant flow while observing the many rituals and proper etiquette of the art. Both players attempt to control the playing area by confusing the opponent with cunning feints and deceptive movements, also known as ‘malicia‘. Capoeira roots can be traced to Africa though the art was born in Brazil. In addition to being a physical game, capoeira is community, history, singing, dancing, acrobatics, friendship and a way of life. ABOUT GROUP ONDAS Grupo Ondas involves students who embrace all cultures. Their main and ultimate goals are to help bridge cultural gaps through the arts they practice and teach and use said arts (particularly capoeira) to teach the 10 Universal Values they believe all should share in order to grow as better people. Their values will be reflected in their game and their being. Another goal of their group is to gain the reputation of being positive, respectful, humble, open, non-discriminating people who are committed to the development, education and integration of all cultures. Their Universal Creed is to build true confidence through knowledge in the mind, honesty in the heart and strength in the body, to keep friendship with one another and to build a strong and happy community, and to never fight to achieve selfish ends; only fight to protect what’s right. Discover more about Group Ondas at https://grupoondas.wordpress.com/about/. ABOUT THE EXHIBIT WaterFire Providence presents EYE TO EYE Photographs and Projects Mary Beth Meehan at the WaterFire Arts Center (WFAC), an exhibition of work from all four of Mary Beth Meehan’s most recent in-depth projects – from Brockton, Massachusetts, to Providence, Rhode Island, to Newnan, Georgia, to her newest project and book on Silicon Valley, California. A collaborative installation, ANNYE RAYE PITTS: WITNESS an installation by Jonathan Pitts-Wiley and Mary Beth Meehan will be on display in the Visitor Center Gallery. This exhibition will be at the WFAC from Wednesday, June 30 – Sunday, August 22, 2021. (exhibition photograph by Jared Winslow) The WaterFire Arts Center is available for your next event! From Galas and Weddings to Business Lunches and Town Hall Meetings, we can make your event in Providence a success. Initially built in 1929 for the US Rubber Company as a multi-purpose manufacturing facility, WaterFire Providence completed renovation of the WaterFire Arts Center in the summer of 2017.