How Capoeira Evolved From Occult Martial Art To International Dance

"Capoeira developed in Brazil, derived from traditions brought across the Atlantic Ocean by enslaved Africans ... During this time, the art was considered a social infirmity and officially prohibited by the Brazilian Penal Code. The identification of 'the outlaw' with capoeira was so widespread that the word became a synonym for 'bum,' 'bandit,' and 'thief.' However, that did not stop the capoeiristas from practicing. They moved to marginal places and camouflaged the martial art as a form of dan