BIOS

Contra-Mestre Relampago

Ricardo Vieira do Nascimento (Prof.Relampago) was born and raised in Igarassu and learned the art of Capoeira from mestres in Recife, Igarassu, and Olinda. Ricardo began his studies at the age of five and has been teaching this artform with a passion for the past 17 years in the Greater Recife area. Over the years Grupo Capoeira Canoa Grande has become a much-needed point of reference for troubled youth in the Igarassu's community. In 2001 Contra-Mestre Relampago was invited to teach workshops in Spain and France, since his return he has been teaching in Igarassu's Public School System under the Project PETI, which is a national initiative to eradicate child labour. Under his direction Grupo Capoeira Canoa Grande was formally founded inS 2001. Mestre Trator, Mestre Duvalle, Mestre Barrao, and Mestre Piraja were/are mentors to Contra-Mestre Relampago and today he is one of the most experienced young capoeiristas in the Recife area.

Sharon Danielle Göpfert (Bamba)

Born and raised in Germany, currently resides in Chicago, Illinois, USA. In 2002/3 she traveled to Brazil for the first time to work with the French theater company Les Metissages in Recife. Since then she has returned many times to work with and support Grupo Capoeira Canoa Grande in creating and international exchange. Her longstanding work as a physical theatre artist and actress in Chicago has gained her the opportunity to teach her craft at the University of Illinois in Chicago since 2000. In 1999 Sharon (Bamba) began her studies of Capoeira with Contra-Mestre Marisa Cordeiro in Chicago; since 2002 she has also trained under Contra-Mestre Relampago in Igarassu. In 2008 she founded The Alma Boa Project – a Chicago-based organization dedicated to creating arts exchange programs with Grupo Capoeira Canoa Grande in Igrassu.

Jack C. Newell

Jack C. Newell (FILMMAKER) has directed fifteen short films to date that have screened the United States and abroad including the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival, Indianapolis International Film Festival, Dam Short Film Festival, Chicago Short Comedy Video Film Festival, and the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. He is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago in Film/Video where he currently teaches film directing. His work will be featured during The Alma Boa Project benefit performance. Jack is the project's documentary filmmaker.