brazilian capoeira dance and music teaching artist
Ilana Queiroz
Originally from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, Ilana is currently teaching capoeira—an art form that combines music, dance, and acrobatics. Having taught since 2000 at more than a dozen schools in the San Diego area, Ilana brings a wealth of teaching experience to her school residencies. She participates in the Ginga Mundo Capoeira group, and plays percussion professionally with ensembles in many styles. Her current passion project is called Compassionate Empowered Women in Motion. It is a project serving economically challenged women in social, psychological and health transitions of all ages and stages residing in or working/studying in downtown San Diego and surrounding neighborhoods using dialogue, movement, music, martial arts, stretching, breath work and intentional self compassion.
My Experience
I love to use music and dance as an approach to history, and as an anthropologist, I sees capoeira as an excellent vehicle for teaching inclusion and community involvement.
As a trained anthropologist, I have a profound interest in culture. I began teaching capoeira because I noticed that this practice had begun to spread all over the world, but that, in the process, the focus on the history, lyrics, meaning, and purpose of the art form was being lost.
With over twenty years of experience sharing her AfroBrazilian roots with audiences and students in San Diego from elementary and middle school classrooms to college dance studios, she integrates games, music, storytelling, history and culture to meet each participant in an inclusive way.
California Center for the Arts, Escondido
Teaching artist
Academic and social enrichment facilitator for Juvenile Court and Community Schools
Present
Shakti Rising
recovery intern
Transformation recovery facilitator.
Feb 2017-Present
Arts for Learning
San Diego
World culture teaching artist
Sep 2016-Present
A Step Beyond
Escondido, CA
Cultural Teaching Artist
201- Present
“Capoeira is not only a combination of gymnastics dance and martial arts but also music, culture, history and knowledge. The capoeirista learns to balance the physical with the mental. One learns the instruments and songs. The capoeirista is a historian. The Capoeirista is all of these.
I’ve Worked With
