Fabiano Pinheiro, otherwise known as Instructor Sabiá, was born in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, and has been an enthusiast of martial arts since childhood. Mr. Pinheiro started his Capoeira training with Mestre Jelon Vieira at the age of nine with Grupo Capoeira Brasil in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Since he has been living in New York City, Mr. Pinheiro has participated in a television commercial for Subway Sandwiches and in the Capoeira documentary "The Evolution of the Art Capoeira in the World" by the New York Film Academy also perform at the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington DC and at the Lowell Folk Festival in Massachusetts.

     As a Capoeira instructor he has developed various workshops for Bard College of Education and currently holds Capoeira classes at the YMCA in Flushing-Queens at Bank Street College of Education and at KIPP AMP Charter School; all capoeira class sites are for all ages. He also works in collaboration with The Capoeira Foundation and The Capoeira Center of New York helping introduce and maintain Capoeira throughout communities in New York City. Instructor Sabiá is also an assistant for Instructor Tiba at the Alvin Ailey Extension of New York City.

Teaching Schedule:

Open Capoeira Luanda - Thursday 7:30 - 9:00pm & Saturday 4:00 - 5:30pm

Class Description:

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines dance, music, percussion, song, ritual, self-defense technique, and acrobatics.  Capoeira developed as a result of over three hundred years of slavery in Brazil.  Capoeira was born as an expression of resistance, as well as a method of spiritual and emotional empowerment.  Through music and songs, slaves were able to conceal the combative purpose of capoeira, while simultaneously illustrating the strength and beauty of cultural sharing.  True to its historical roots, capoeira today is a means of empowerment for its practitioners and a forum for social and cultural exchange.