Brazilian flair is helping Anglesey youngsters to roundhouse kick themselves fit, since the dancing martial art, Capoeira burst onto the scene through the Welsh Assembly Government’s 5x60 programme.

Capoeira is a Brazilian art form grown out of African traditions, brought to Brazil through slavery and was the original inspiration for break dancing after its introduction to America and Europe in the mid 1970s. It incorporates dance, martial arts, music, philosophy and theatrics. Illegal in Brazil until the 1930s, Capoeira is now globally popular.

Twenty Ysgol David Hughes pupils regularly attend weekly sessions and another 40 pupils are lining up to have a go. Their dance studio only holds 20 people, so more sessions will be introduced to cater for the high demand. Four pupils have taken to the Samba art form so keenly that they have even made the jump to join a community club.

Anglesey County Council’s Active Young Peoples’ Officer, Barry John Edwards said,

"The 5x60 sessions at Ysgol David Hughes are growing in numbers week after week. It is various activities such as Capoeira, street dance, basketball, badminton, kayaking, canoeing and climbing that ensure the 5x60 scheme creates a wide range of activities for a wide range of pupils. Working alongside Dawns i Bawb and the North Wales Outdoor Partnership ensures great opportunities for the 5x60 pupils."

In Capoeira, two participants try and outdo each other with athletic footwork and acrobatic feats in the centre of a circle of people. The Capoeiristas engage in a game of cat and mouse, manoeuvring themselves to try and corner their opponent to prevent them from completing a movement. The nature and speed of the dance are totally dictated by the rhythm of the music.

The Capoeira 5x60 sessions on Anglesey are delivered by dance company Dawns i Bawb - the umbrella organisation for community dance in North West Wales. The Caernarfon based company works with local people, using amateur and professional dance practitioners and choreographers to encourage dance in the area.

Commenting on their involvement with the 5x60 programme, delivering Capoeira to the youngsters of Anglesey, Dawns i Bawb Director, Karine Décorne said,

"Dawns i Bawb are delighted to be part of the 5x60 programme and of the interest that Capoeira has raised in Ysgol David Hughes. There are only a few specialists in Wales and we are very lucky to have one of the best ones on our team. Break dancing and hip-hop, which are very popular dance styles with young people, actually find their roots into Capoeira. Capoeira is a fantastic activity to not only keep fit but also to learn about a different culture"

For more information about 5x60, visit the website at http://www.5x60.org.uk