About Me

I’m Ilana. I have over 20 years of experience sharing my love of the Afro Brazilian Cultural Arts of Capoeira Dance, Music and History. 

Through the arts and body expression I facilitate a sense of joy, integration and personal expression in children of all ages.

“Capoeira […] allows kids to literally see the world from another perspective -doing cart wheels, hand and head stands.”

-Ilana Queiroz

Teaching Philosophy

Ilana’s teaching philosophy is to facilitate contact with the culture, develop a sense of community, and to encourage familiarity of the capoeira player with his or her own body. She also sees great value in exposure to rhythm, the native language, and different instruments. Most especially, she tries to teach her students that happiness is the fuel for a healthy life.

The Elements

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Culture

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Rhythm

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Body Expression

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Community

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Musical instruments

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Happiness

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singing

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Flexibility

Skills

  • Teacher Facilitator
  • Performance & Outreach
  • Curriculum Development

“Capoeira is a complete art. It teaches timing, spacial perception, eye contact, respect, community, and partnership. It teachese children to be couragous and try new activities and different disciplines.” 

-Ilana Queiroz

In her experience as a teacher, Ilana finds that capoeira encompasses so many aspects of learning that each child can find a favorite element in the art to focus on. Her capoeira class consists of stretches, warm up (often with games related to the history or movements learned), and technique (kicks, dodges, timing, and dance sequences).

Musically, she teaches rhythm and various instruments through capoeira songs. Children learn how to play the agogô, pandeiro, atabaque (drum), reco-reco, caxixi and sometimes the berimbau. Every instrument has a different feel and technique, contributing to distinct musical patterns.

The students develop the ability to work in harmony with each other and multitask through capoeira’s style of call-and-response. The lyrics are in Portuguese, so students have a chance to learn songs in a new language, bringing the students a new linguistic experience.

Some lyrics are very old and simple, reflecting a certain time in the past, so Ilana uses this opportunity to tell the story about what life was like for these songwriters and dancers. In this way she is able to integrate language, geography, history, and movement into her lessons.

Get In Touch

Ready to Chat?

(619) 366-8038