Super Moves: Jay Camara Spain

If you get a chance to see Axé Capoeira Arizona perform, take it. Because there's no way to do this group — or its art form — justice with words. Capoeira is described as a Brazilian-Afro art form, incorporating movement, music, and culture. See? Hard to get a visual. Another way to describe capoeira is as a conversation between two people — yeah, a little chat using acrobatics that put Cirque du Soleil to shame and martial arts kicks and chops (don't worry, there's no real physical contact) that make cage fighting look tame. We know little girls who have fallen in love, watching these bodies in motion. And big girls, too. Jay Camara Spain, leader of the first capoeira troupe in Arizona, offers classes for adults and kids, and Axé Capoeira performs around town (go to www.axecapoeira-az.com for details). He describes the essence of capoeira this way: "Capoeira is like life. Life sometimes is not fair, sometimes good, sometimes bad. The way you move is the way you think; the way you think is the way you move. So goes life." Like we said, you gotta see it for yourself.

Giulio Sciorio

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