Is capoeira a dance form or a martial art?
Both. Capoeira is a martial art that blends dance, music, singing and acrobatics. While some people argue that it originated in Africa, others claim that capoeira developed three to four hundred years ago in Brazil. Slaves were not allowed to practice any form of combat or defense, so they eliminated direct contact between opponents and made their movements look more like dancing. As a result, modern capoeiristas jump, flip, turn and lunge to try to catch their partners off guard.
