“My son Mateo started capoeira at 7 years old.  Professor Coco introduced capoeira to Mateo’s elementary school and soon after joined Coco as one of his first students in his class.  From the start he loved the athleticism of capoeira, while as a parent, I was glad that he was learning something new and staying active.  Elastico, as he is known in capoeira, learned about achievement through learning new moves and advancing in ranking. Professor Coco’s constant encouragement lifted Elastico’s self-esteem through the years and as a parent, that ability to connect with a child is priceless.  Elastico has made friends, both young and old, and his ability to play at a high level for his age, keeps him coming to the classes. As a parent, I cannot say enough about the love and desire Professor Coco has for the art of capoeira and how he is constantly transferring that passion to his students. For my son and his 7 years with Coco, the class has provided a martial arts skill, a self-esteem booster, confidence, self-awareness and friendships.”

“Abada Capoeira Bronx’s spring break camp was an amazing experience for my son and daughter. It’s a beautiful community. The immersive experience in capoeira exposes them to a blend of martial arts, dance, music, language, and culture. Coco pays individual attention to each child at whatever level, appreciating them for who they are and pushing them to improve their skills. Highly recommended.”

“Having Capoeira at The DreamYard Art Center allows us to provide a unique creative arts experience to our children and furthers our commitment to uplifting our culture, realities and lived experiences as people of color by studying and practicing a brazilian art form rooted in our african ancestry. We have found that developmentally it has also proven to improve our participants endurance, language skills, teamwork and sense of pride. We are blessed to have Mr. Coco our master teacher who the children love. The quality teaching that Mr. CoCo provides is truly magical when you see how engaged and empowered the children seem when you walk into the classroom.”

“Our students learn not only the martial art of capoeira but as a Dual Language school, they have a window into Afro Brazilian culture, another language- Portuguese, history, movement, respect and support for one another, and self-discipline. Our children can’t wait for capoeira to begin every year and LOVE Professor Coco. He is knowledgeable and has a great command of teaching groups of children. Can’t recommend it enough!!”

“The capoeira program is always a welcome addition to our school’s programs. The blend of learning through movement, music and culture provides an exciting enrichment experience for our students. It gets them talking and it makes them excited about coming to school. It seems almost like they think of their Professor Coco as some sort of superhero!”