Dear Community,
As we step into 2026, I feel a profound sense of purpose and responsibility. Our world needs capoeira and our organization now more than ever. I strongly believe that if more people engaged in capoeira, we would see less division, suffering, and violence in our communities.
Capoeira is born from a history of resistance to oppression. It teaches us how to collaborate harmoniously and navigate our differences with respect and integrity. Capoeira unifies, uplifts, and empowers everyone who participates.
In the coming year, we will continue our dynamic programs—many of which we have offered year after year—creating community bonds, sharing new creative works, hiring countless local and visiting artists, and teaching students of all ages how to be better humans through the ancestral art of capoeira.
We have exciting plans for 2026, and we invite everyone to join us. Capoeira will transform you physically, ground you mentally, support you emotionally, and uplift your spirit.
In addition to free and low-cost classes at our Mission District Capoeira Arts Center for all ages, we have a busy lineup of programs. This includes 20 weekly classes in schools across the Bay Area, participation in the SF Carnaval Parade, the kids’ batizado in May, our annual teen/adult batizado later in the fall, and more. Each of these events reflects the heart of our mission: to use capoeira as a tool to uplift individuals, build a healthy society, and foster connections within our community.
Our school will also host a dynamic lineup of guest artists from Brazil and around the world in the coming year. Each artist will bring their unique perspective and talent rooted in their lineage, expanding our understanding of capoeira and challenging us to grow. These visits will be more than just workshops; they will serve as exchanges that strengthen the global fabric of our art. I encourage every student, from the newest beginner to our most advanced graduates, to participate in these encounters. They remind us that capoeira thrives through people—through the stories, techniques, and songs that we pass from one generation to the next.
This year, we will embark on a deeply personal project: launching a major archival initiative to preserve and share decades of work and memories. For over 40 years, my life in capoeira has been captured in photos, VHS tapes, handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, audio recordings, interviews, and more. In 2026, with filmmaker Claudia Escobar, who recently released the short film, “Márcia,” we’ll begin organizing, digitizing, and contextualizing this material. This archive will not only document my journey but also honor the students, teachers, mestres, musicians, and cultural workers who have helped build ABADÁ-Capoeira in San Francisco. My hope is that these materials will serve as a resource for dancers, scholars, young capoeiristas, and anyone curious about the decades-long development of capoeira, including how I have contributed to the art’s evolution and how capoeira has shaped me and my work. We plan to present the archival material at a two-day festival in early 2027.
Thank you for supporting our work. Whether you’ve trained, enrolled your child, volunteered behind the scenes, donated, or simply offered a word of encouragement, you have helped our community thrive. The year ahead promises inspiration, discovery, and many opportunities to build new bridges through our art. I hope you will be a part of this unfolding story.
With much gratitude and hope for a great year ahead,
Mestra Márcia Cigarra