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Photo by Will Austin Photography
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CONTRA-MESTRE
PITTA SANTOS:
Contra-Mestre Pitta was born and raised in Salvador, Brazil. Having studied
and taught Capoeira and Afro-Brazilian dance in his native Salvador for
the past 18 years, Pitta recently landed in the United States. With much
enthusiasm, he is eager to share his native Afro-Brazilian culture through
Capoeira and dance, two of the most significant artistic expressions of
Black Brazilian culture.
Pitta began training Capeoira Regional (pronounced hey-shon-al)
under Mestre Washington and at the age of 17 became the Regional Capoeira
Champion of Salvador. Pitta studied dance at Universidad Federal do Bahia
and Federacao Cultural do Bahia in Salvador. He has performed throughout
the state of Bahia with professional Afro-Brazilian dance and Capoeira groups
such as Arte Bahia, Joao de Barro, and Axe Bahia.
In 2003 Pitta co-founded the Capoeira group, Bantos Brazil, teaching and
performing extensively in theatres and festivals. Bantos Brazil grew successfully,
and with partnership and funding from UNESCO, provided Capoeira instruction
to over 350 under-privileged youth. Pitta also appeared on several Brazilian
local and national television and radio programs speaking about and teaching
Capoeira.
In Seattle, with his wife Aileen, Pitta has created the Capoeira group Bantos
Capoeira Seattle and Bahia in Motion, offering classes in Afro-Brazilian
dance and Capoeira to both adults and children. Pitta's extensive professional
training and ability to transmit the vibrant energy of Bahia, Brazil produce
fun, creative and invigorating classes. Since his arrival, Pitta has taught
workshops at Seattle's Rhythm Fest and BrasilFest and has been invited to
take part in various community festivals and projects with The Capoeira
Angola Foundation. |
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Photo by Will Austin Photography
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AILEEN SANTOS:
Aileen first began exploring dance in New York where she was born and raised.
There her studies included foundations in ballet, modern, jazz, tap and
theatre dance at studios such as Broadway Dance Center and Phil Black. She
began performing and choreographing at an early age with local theatre productions
and advanced her studies to include Afro-Cuban, West African, Salsa and
Tango in New York, Seattle, Brazil and Argentina. She enjoys sharing her
passion for dance by performing and teaching Afro-Latin dance forms to adults
and children.
Aileen's other passions are in the healing arts and world cultures. She
holds a Master's degree in cross-cultural community health and specializes
in creating health promotion programs for underserved and minority populations.
She has traveled to Nepal, South America, and Europe as a nurse to volunteer
for various health organizations.
Aileen recently spent 3 years in Salvador, Brazil studying Afro-Brazilian
culture, music and dance. There she strengthened her technique in the Silvestre
method and various other traditional dance forms, including Dances of the
Orixas, Samba de Roda and Afro. Her teachers and mentors from Brazil include
Rosangela Silvestre, Vera Passos, Marilza Olivera, Nem Brito da Silva and
Nilginha Fonseca from Bale Folklorico.
While in Salvador, Aileen taught dance to children from the city's favelas
(poorest urban areas) at Diaspora Art Center and also co-directed a children's
production there in 2006. In addition, she taught English at Bahia Street,
an organization that aims to break cycles of poverty and violence by enhancing
educational opportunities for economically impoverished young women.
Aileen now performs and co-teaches Afro-Brazilian dance with her husband
Daniel Pitta in Seattle, WA. The combination of her experience, education
and passion in the healing and performing arts brings a grounded yet dynamic
energy to her teaching and performance style.
Her unique charisma and enthusiasm radiates her belief in dance as an art
form that allows physical, mental and spiritual expression, promoting cross-cultural
understanding through a common corporal language.
Aileen hopes to continue creating programs that allow people of all ages,
cultures and economic backgrounds to experience the joy and healing which
dance creates within each individual and throughout the world. |
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