Illustration by Aron Rook
On a brisk, still, winter night in Highspire, the Richie School of Dance pulsed with activity as a group of students ran, tumbled, cartwheeled and struck poses, while being coached by instructors Jessica and Ian Jackson.
“Good job,” boomed Ian, as an 8-year-old, whose nickname, “Grilo,” means cricket, rose quickly to his feet after emerging from a rolê (roll). The energy was so infectious that the couple’s little girl Izabella, at age 1, mimicked the action, attempting to complete a rolê while the others practiced around her.
Jessica explained that the children are learning a Brazilian dancelike martial art called capoeira. The couple’s son, 8-year-old Joseph Ortiz, known as “Esformiado,” meaning big appetite, helped me out with the pronunciation. “Ca-pa-wed-a,” he said, getting the tongue roll just right.
Jessica said that capoeira was used as a means of self-defense and that that part of the art is reacting quickly to trick, evade or attack your opponent.
She went on to explain that everyone in the class goes by nicknames that suit their personality.
“Approximately 4.5 million slaves were brought to Brazil and used capoeira as an escape and formed small towns in the forest called quilombos,” she said. “The nicknames were used so that the police would have difficulty identifying them.”
Jessica’s son volunteered more information to explain the art.
“We get to do a lot of kicks,” he said.
That becomes clearer over the course of the evening as I witnessed a litany of moves that aren’t for the faint of heart, from high kicks to reverse roundhouse kicks to circular leg kicks.
The children’s enthusiasm was palpable as they took their turns on the mat while percussive, instrumental music played in the background. Jessica identified the instruments used to set the pace of the movements.
“They typically used berimbaus (struck bows), pandeiro and atabaque (drums), agogôs (double bell) and sometimes a reco-reco (scraped bamboo tube),” she explained, adding that many of the songs describe the plights of the slaves and how they arrived in Brazil.
What makes the evening particularly fun, according to the Jacksons, is when participants form a circle called a “roda” and demonstrate the moves they’ve mastered, which lends a degree of autonomy and creativity to the practice.
Perfect Match
Jessica has been practicing capoeira for 23 years, first in Florida and now here.
“I saw a movie called “Only the Strong,” then later I witnessed two individuals doing it at a college and wanted in on it,” she said.
Fortunately, Jessica’s husband Ian was an NCAA gymnast at the University of Oklahoma.
“He is an acrobatics coach, so he helps me in class with that part,” she said.
When Jessica arrived in central PA, she was surprised that the area lacked exposure to capoeira.
“If you go to New York or Orlando, you’ll find plenty of capoeira classes, but here it’s not so prevalent,” she said.
And it wasn’t like Jessica could just touch down in Pennsylvania and start teaching.
“We keep a high degree of professionalism when teaching classes,” she said, mentioning that Master Mestre Lazaro, who lives in Brazil, acts as a mentor, teaching instructors how to conduct classes for children and adults.
“The main group is in Orlando, and there’s another one in Las Vegas,” she said.
June Popov brought her son, Jace, to the class, which meets twice a week.
“I learned about it when they demonstrated it at the Pennsylvania STEAM Charter School, and it was a perfect match,” Popov said.
Andrew Glenn attends the adult classes, stating that his interest was piqued when he enrolled his son, Liam. The Middletown resident gave it a shot and found it fun.
“There’s so much energy in the classes, and Ian and Jessica are very supportive when it comes to teaching and training,” he said.
Rachel Peacock, who lives in Midtown Harrisburg and goes by the name “Azul,” meaning “Blue,” is another one of the adults who joined the class.
“I’m Brazilian and was adopted by a Caucasian woman, so I decided to sign up to learn more about Brazilian culture,” Peacock said. “First and foremost, I learned that I have increased strength—I did a bridge not too long ago.”
According to the Jacksons, capoeira provides many other advantages of a good workout, like cardiovascular benefits, while improving agility, flexibility and balance.
The couple added that they are excited for the future of capoeira in the region and hope that their enthusiasm becomes contagious.
“It’s something that both children and adults can do, and we’re sharing it through demonstrations,” Jessica said. “So far, we’ve done shows at Disney, at professional soccer games, at cultural festivals, conventions and schools.”
Her face brightened as she provided a rundown of the events they’ve attended.
“I just love it,” she said. “It’s such a beautiful art that I think should be shared with everyone.”
The Highspire location of the Richie School of Dance is located at 679 Second St., Highspire. For more information, call 717-939-5378 or visit www.richiedance.com.
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