Mestre Deraldo Ferreira brought the rich tradition of capoeira angola to Boston over 25 years ago, teaching capoeira, as well as samba dance and drumming, and bringing masters of the Brazilian martial art to Boston for years.  His school has been known around the world for encounters which would draw hundreds of people to Boston annually.  The Dance Complex of Cambridge, was one of the places where Mestre Deraldo's nascent capoeira academy trained. Deraldo Ferreira trained with multiple masters of the art, but ultimately anchored his school in the academy of Mestre João Pequeno, capoeira angola's oldest living master. 

In the art of capoeira angola, most mestres have multiple schools around the world, spending only short periods with individual groups.  In contrast, Mestre Deraldo dedicated decades of his life to Boston and Cambridge, sharing his passion for music, dance and capoeira with hundreds of people.  In the process he amassed a number of disciples, three of whom have applied to carry on the tradition of Mestre Deraldo's capoeira academy. They are Mestre Manhoso, Contramestre Toca, and Profesor Calango, who have trained for 25, 16, and 11 years, respectively, with Mestre Deraldo. 

In the capoeira tradition, it is common for the mestre to rarely teach a class, or to be traveling, while designated teachers lead the class.  Indeed, it is everyone's responsibility to teach, for every student has something to teach or to learn from one another.  A mestre's capoeira academy, is his academy, regardless of who leads class.

When the Brazilian Cultural Center building closed in 2005, the Dance Complex warmly welcomed Mestre Deraldo's academy into the building. Now, as Mestre Deraldo begins a new era of his life and returns to Brazil, but with plans to visit and teach at least twice a year, his capoeira academy may be pushed out of the Dance Complex.  The spirit, the community, and most importantly the capoeira will not change as a result of the Mestre's absence.  In fact, in the lead up to Mestre Deraldo's departure, the group has only grown stronger, with a core of dedicated students who have been training for years and many more who frequent the classes. 

The Dance Complex should be proud to host the oldest capoeira angola school in Greater Boston and the state of Massachusetts. Keep Mestre Deraldo's capoeira school, in the skilled hands of Mestre Manhoso, Contramestre Toca and Profesor Calango, at the Dance Complex!