Dance, play Capoeira for Haiti

Come ready to learn, play and support Haitian relief Thursday, April 29, when a leading scholar of African martial arts traditions will teach the art of Capoeira. 

“Fighting for Honor,” sponsored by the history and sociology departments and Vive Haiti!, a Chapman student group, will feature T.J. Desch-Obi, associate professor at Baruch College in African and African Diaspora history. Desch-Obi is author of
Fighting for Honor: The History of African Martial Arts in the Atlantic World
and has lectured widely on the martial arts traditions that come from Africa, North America, the French Caribbean and Brazil. 

The lecture begins at 4 p.m. in the Irvine Lecture Hall and will be followed by a 5:30 p.m. workshop on the lawn of Burt Williams Mall. Dress comfortably and be ready to get physical, says Carolyn E. Vieira-Martinez, Ph.D., assistant professor, African history.

“It has the appearance of being as much dance as defense.  Hence you “play” Capoeira, you don’t “fight” Capoeira,” says Dr. Vieira-Martinez.

Catch a glimpse of a Capoeira class
here
.

To reserve a spot in the workshop, email
stroop@chapman.edu
. Suggested donations of $10 for each participant will go to Vive Haiti! for earthquake relief. Visit the Vive Haiti! Facebook page
here
for more information about the group.