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 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 muscle 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 Fundacao Mestre Bimba, Salvador, Brasil.