This year's big event will once again include YYC legends and party band extraordinaire the Rueben Kincaids, along with amazing cultural performances from Capoeira Cajue Calgary, Woezo Africa Music & Dance Theatre & Oriental Motion Dance Studios. As a bonus, ticket holders also get full access to the Fort Calgary Museum and all its exhibits. You'll also get some great food, a silent auction you can access online a week prior to the event, a cash bar, plus a few great surprises you won't want to miss, all combined to make for a fun-filled night of entertainment.
One of the most eye-popping and high-energy parts of April 6th will no doubt be an amazing performance of Brazilian Capoeira from Capoeira Cajue Calgary. Back at CFN's Celebrating Diversity for a second year in a row, Professor Frankenstein (Roberval da Silva) has been training capoeira for over 20 years and has been instructing students in Calgary for nearly a decade. ‘Frankie’ has travelled all over the world to perform, teach, and spread capoeira and now instructs dedicated students right here in YYC.
Capoeira is more than a martial art. It is an art form that exercises the mind as well as the body. Capoeira encourages men to be graceful and fluid, and women to be strong, powerful and confident. As for children, they are not taught the fighting aspects of Capoeira until they have matured and have developed a solid understanding of the cooperative game of call and response. Capoeira is the whole package – exercise for the mind, body and soul.
The emerging school of thought is that the existing form of Capoeira developed in the streets of Brazil after the Abolition of 1888 by those who were once slaves. These East and West Africans and native Brazilians could not find work because they were illiterate and only possessed skills related to slavery, so they spent their days loitering on the streets. Love of music united these cultures and it was not long before the roots of Capoeira were planted. Music inspired dancing, camaraderie inspired play, and aggression inspired self-defence.
Come enjoy Capoeira Cajue Calgary's performance on April 6th at Fort Calgary and help CFN build community, have fun and most of all, work towards the Calgary we imagine and strive for each day – a community that values diversity, in which people of all backgrounds find and create opportunities to fulfill their dreams.
For a quick peek at what a Celebrating Diversity ticket gets you, watch the Capoeira YYC crew in action below. Tickets are limited and are now available at www.yycdiversity.com