Alemão and Dinorá

Scott Miller and Stacey Kennedy, known in the capoeira community as Mestre Alemão and Formada Dinorá have more than four decades of experience between them learning and teaching capoeira. The Capoeira Superação style emphasizes techniques which maximize efficiency and power, while minimizing injury. The teaching is wholistic and includes movement, music and culture. Together they also teach self-defense strategies based upon years of capoeira techniques and real world scenarios. Students reinforce their training with exercises that include active resistence. Alemão and Dinorá seek out passionate and dedicated students regardless of gender, religion, nationality or sexual orientation. They look forward to teaching and inspiring the next generation of capoeiristas, who will in turn do the same.


Alemão SuperaçãoWhen Mestre Alemão was first introduced to capoeira in 1995, it was largely an unknown art form outside of Brazil. He became a student of Mestre Delei of Minas Gerais, Brazil who had recently begun teaching in South Florida and would open Miami's first full time Capoeira academy, Capoeira Abolição. Soon Alemão found himself addicted not only to the fluid movements and hypnotizing rhythms but to the history and culture that made capoeira resistant to our changing times. As the world raced forward with technology during the 90's and into the 21st century, capoeira seemingly remained rooted in another time. The suffering inflicted by the transatlantic slave trade gave rise to something so beautiful and powerful that it still captures the hearts of its practitioners around the globe. He continued to train and much to his surprise began teaching his own students in 1999. Today he enjoys seeing those students graduate and teach classes themselves. Graduated by Mestre Delei as a Professor of Capoeira in 2006 in Santa Catarina, Brazil, he was one of a very small number of non-Brazilians to have the honor of reaching this level. Fluent in Portuguese and a student of Brazilian culture, He has travelled extensively in Brazil. He encourages his students to travel with him to discover capoeira's origins. On 11/20/2011 Alemão founded Capoeira Superação Arts with his students, celebrating their first Batizado at FIU in South Florida. In March of 2015 Alemão Superação was diagnosed with stage 2 colorectal cancer. A few days later his most accomplished student, Instrutor "Jorge Jimenez" Venom unexpectedly died in a car accident. Despite this unthinkable blow to the small group, his students came together to honor Instrutor Venom and to support Alemão as he underwent surgery and aggressive chemotherapy. Today Alemão is cancer free and has been able to return to peak fitness in large part with the help of capoeira. He fullfilled the dream that he and Instrutor Venom had to open a Capoeira studio that would help inspire the next generation. Alemão has come to appreciate life and specifically to appreciate capoeira and those he teaches. What still brings him the most joy is to see his students find the confidence to achieve what they never thought possible. On 11/11/2023, his Mestre Delei Kaçula graduated him to the title of Mestre at a ceremony in Orlando, Florida where he was joined by his family as well as his friends and students from his 28 years of Capoeira. He is Mestre Delei's first student from the United States graduated by him to the level of Mestre. Mestre Alemão's legacy will be not be recorded in the social media that seems to dominate our lives, but rather in the passion he passes on to the next generation of capoeira students and teachers.

 

Instrutora Formada Dinorá began her capoeira journey in 2009 training with Alemão at Florida International University. It's something she had always wanted to do and when the opportunity presented itself she seized the chance to learn. A stubborn perfectionist, she rarely missed a class and soon had learned the basic movements of capoeira. She quickly earned the apelido or nickname of "Dinorá" based upon a strong female character featured in the capoeira movie "Besouro" who despite being underestimated by the film's patriarchal antagonists, defended herself with swift movements and powerful strikes. Two years later Dinorá was integral to the founding of Capoeira Superação Arts with her love of the color purple stamping an indelible mark upon the group. Her passion for capoeira led her to travel twice to Bahia, Brazil to participate in workshops, events and take in the both the beauty and troublesome history of Brazil's past. In March of 2015, as Alemão was undergoing chemotherapy, she rose to the occasion by teaching classes and guiding the group through its most difficult months. In May of 2017 her efforts and abilities were recognized as she was graduated to the Instrutora cord (yellow and blue) thus beginning her transformation into an official teacher of capoeira. In January of 2023 she was elevated to her Formada cord (green, yellow and blue). This is the highest level before beginning her journey as a Professora of Capoeira. She has taught children and adults around South Florida and is known for her student-centered approach and high-energy workouts. She has also participated in and given workshops at capoeira events within the United States. As a group fitness instructor she also teaches fitness classes focusing on strengthening the core and improving cardio conditioning. She enjoys seeing her students get into shape, learn new skills and reach their potential. Dinorá is an advocate for women, and particularly women of color to assume leadership in the greater capoeira community.

 

Instrutor Venom (1989-2015) was one of Alemão's first students, beginning capoeira in a program at Miami Jackson High School which provided free capoeira classes for students who maintained good grades. Although at 12 years old he was younger and smaller than the other students, his enthusiam and full head of hair earned him the apelido (nickname) of "Mico". Micos are small primates in brazil that climb through the trees with endless energy. Mico was one of the most dedicated students and traveled with Alemão Superação to Brazil in 2003 to learn more about capoeira. During the next few years he continued to grow in capoeira and graduated from High School. At 17 years old he joined the Army and went on to proudly serve our country completing tours in Iraq and serving in Germany. Upon returning from active duty in 2011 he convinced Alemão to create the group Capoeira Superação Arts and together they began introducing the new group to the greater capoeira community. Earning the new apelido of "Venom" he began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and competed in his first amateur MMA fight. In 2014 he was accepted to Florida International University (FIU) where he studied to become a physical education teacher. His dream was to teach capoeira in public schools, knowing how it had transformed his own life. On March 8, 2015 while driving early in the morning to participate in JROTC exercises at FIU, he was in a car accident and did not survive. The shock to his family and the capoeira community was immediate and profound. He is greatly missed and continues to live in all of us who were touched by his short but full life. He lives on in our ginga (capoeira movements) and in our hearts. Though his death seemed senseless and unfair, we are dedicated to bringing purpose to his life with every capoeira game we play. His image adorns our uniforms where he remains close to our hearts.



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