The Who? What? When? Where? of This Year’s Capoeira Festival

Wait… before you pick up the phone and call someone to clarify any questions about the Festival, you might want to read this first cos chances are, someone has the same questions as you.

FAQ for Adult Participants

• What is the cost to participate?Bantus Capoeira Festival Package w/ Uniform Attend ALL workshops Attend ALL rodas 1 Festival T-Shirt Attend Batizado Ceremony 1 official Bantus Capoeira Abadas (Pants) Special Members Price: MYR300* Non Members: MYR350 Bantus Capoeira Festival Package w/o Uniform Attend ALL workshops Attend ALL rodas 1 Festival T-Shirt Attend Batizado Ceremony Special Members Price: MYR200* Non Members: MYR250 * THIS PRICE IS VALID UNTIL 1st NOVEMBER 2006 ONLY!!!
• Will I be corded this year? Payment of festival fees may not include a cord. Please discuss your eligibility with Quek or Rafael to avoid disappointment. Generally, if you’ve been training with us for at least 3 months, you’ll be eligible for the first cord (Coral).
• Do I need to buy a uniform? If this is your first cord, you may need to purchase a pair of abadas (MYR 170 if purchased separately). Otherwise, there’s no specific uniform to buy. You’ll be wearing the Festival T-shirt and abadas for your Batizado.
• What happens during the Batizado? Briefly, your objective will be to stay on your feet as long as you can in the roda with Mestre Pintor or any of the other guest instructors, who will ‘baptize’ you into the world of capoeira by tripping you up and subsequently awarding you your cord!
• What happens during the Viva Brazil party? You guys just treat this as a night out on the town where you get to chill out with your instructors and visiting guests and dance the night away to thumping Brazilian beats. The night’s performance will be put on by senior students, instructors and special guests.
• I can’t come for Workshops/Viva Brazil Party/Batizado… do I still pay the full amount? Yes, as long as you’re participating for any event as a Bantus student, you’ll need to contribute to the Festival fund. In order to simplify the administrative process, there’s no separate payments for the individual festival events.

FAQ for Bantus Kids

• What is the cost to participate?Bantus Capoeira Kids’ Package w/ Uniform 1 Kid’s Workshop w/ Mestre 1 Street Roda 1 Festival T-Shirt 1 official Bantus Capoeira Abadas (Pants) Attend Batizado Ceremony Cost: MYR180 Bantus Capoeira Kids’ Package w/o Uniform 1 Kid’s Workshop w/ Mestre 1 Street Roda 1 Festival T-Shirt Attend Batizado Ceremony Cost: MYR100
• Will I be corded this year? Payment of festival fees may not include a cord. Please discuss your eligibility with Quek or Rafael to avoid disappointment. Generally, if you’ve been training with us for at least 3 months, you’ll be eligible for the first cord (Coral).
• Do I need to buy a uniform? If this is your first cord, you may need to purchase a pair of abadas (MYR 170 if purchased separately). Otherwise, there’s no specific uniform to buy. You’ll be wearing the Festival T-shirt and abadas for your Batizado.
• What happens during the Batizado? Briefly, your objective will be to stay on your feet as long as you can in the roda with Mestre Pintor or any of the other guest instructors, who will ‘baptize’ you into the world of capoeira by tripping you up and subsequently awarding you your cord!

Additional Information for International Guests

• Where can I stay? In true capoeirista style, you can stay with friends you have made during the last batizado in KL or at our Academia in Damansara Jaya. Failing that, there are plenty of affordable inns and backpackers hostels in town. Check out some of the available hostels here or here. Alternatively you can try: The YMCA KL Description: Standard issue YMCA hostel about 20 minute drive to the Academia or Number Eight Guesthouse Description: Nice affordable place in the center of KL, near to good local food and nightlife but rather far away from the Academia. About 40 minute drive in medium traffic.
• Where’s the academia? We are located at Lot 23c, Jalan SS22/23. The name of the neighborhood is Damansara Jaya. The name of the city is Petaling Jaya, a satellite city of Kuala Lumpur.
• How should I get around? Putera LRT (Light Rail Transit i.e. train) is probably the way to go to get to the Academia. Stop at the Kelana Jaya Station, its all the way at the end of the line in Petaling Jaya. Then you can cab it to academy. Should be about MYR5. To get around in general, if you don’t have a car, take the LRT to a stop somewhere near your destination, then grab a cab.
• What is there to do in KL? The KLUE website is the most up to date and authoritative source of stuff to do in KL. Even the locals refer to it when planning a night out. While you are in town, check out what The Independent and Yahoo! have to say about the sights and sounds of KL. If you are in to nightlife, KL has plenty to offer as well.
• Why are there so few workshops/activities during the weekdays? Unfortunately, we don’t anticipate that our hardworking members will be able to take the whole week off for the festival so we are trying to accomodate their schedules. We are doing workshops mostly at night on the weekdays and we will plan more daytime activities on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to accommodate our international guests. Locals who are able to take Friday off will have three intensive days of capoeira and associated activities.

General Questions

• How much are the T-shirts? The Festival T-shirts will be for sale at MYR 35 each. Numbers are limited!
• Can I get a cord to tie up my new abadas? If you haven’t been awarded your first cord (Coral), then you’ll need to tie your abadas up with a plain string. We will have some available in the academia during the festival period. You’ll get to wear your new colours proudly after you’ve been awarded your cord during the Batizado!
• Can I watch the Workshops? To be fair to our participants, the Workshops will be strictly for people who have registered for the festival. You may however come and watch our Noite Brasileira, Batizado and any other public rodas we hope to organize, ad-hoc.
• What should I wear? For workshops, please wear a Bantus t-shirt whenever possible. We strongly encourage you to wear capoeira training pants or your abadas for workshops. For Noite Brasileira you can show up in your clubbing/going out gear. For the Batizado all students will be required to wear Festival t-shirts and Bantus abadas.
• Can I get a ride to… ? Please arrange with your fellow students for a ride to any of the festival venues first before trying to call any of the senior students above. Most of our rides will be used to transport our international guests and may not be able to accomodate any more passengers.
• Can I play in the rodas? For Bantus students, you can play in all the Bantus rodas according to the rules and etiquette outlined here. You are also expected to observe the rule of seniority where you may only “buy” a game from a junior student, or wait for a senior student to take you into the roda. Non Bantus capoeiristas are advised to seek the permission from our Mestre or the presiding instructor before entering the roda. Workshops, Street Rodas and Batizado: Watch for cue from Mestre as to who’s turn it is to play. i.e. Open Roda for Beginners and Coral, Troca de Corda for Verde and Verde/Amarelo, Open Roda for Instructors and Special Guests. Viva Brazil Party: We will be putting on a show for the public on that night so the more seniors students, visiting Bantus instructors and special guests will be part of the show.
• How do I know who’s the Mestre or presiding instructor? Just ask any of our Bantus students and they’ll point you to the right person.

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