Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LANGUAGE & CULTURE
Almost 70 universities in the
country offer Portuguese
classes to foreign students.
Many of these courses are
now open to visitors. Some
language schools also offer
flexible Portuguese courses,
which can stretch from one
week to many months.
These lessons may include
lectures on Brazilian culture
and guided tours of museums
and galleries. Some of them
prepare for the Portuguese
Proficiency Certificate
(CELPE-Bras), the Portuguese
language qualification granted
by the
Ministério da
Educação
.
Excellence Idiomas
,
Idiomas to Go
, and
Diálogo
Language School
are some of
the better private school
options.
Couples dancing the
forró
on a festive occasion
São Paulo, one can visit
Avenida Club
and take
samba
lessons from professional
dancers. Diálogo Language
School conducts workshops
on dancing and singing to
Brazilian rhythms, which
may be tied in with
Portuguese language classes.
These lessons are a good way
to familiarize oneself with the
most representative artists
of Brazilian popular music.
age. Some good options are
Central de Intercambio
in São
Paulo City,
Cruzeiro Esporte
Clube
in Belo Horizonte
(Minas Gerais), and
Athletic
Center Football Club
, a soccer
academy located in Poços
de Caldas (Minas Gerais). The
Athletic Center also organizes
special tours involving visits
to famous clubs and stadia.
MUSIC & DANCE
CAPOEIRA CLASSES
The sensuous dance forms
of Brazil have evoked a lot of
interest worldwide. With their
natural hospitality Brazilians
are easily motivated to teach
dance steps at bars, dance
houses, parties, and local
performances. But you can
also arrange to take pro-
fessional dancing classes in
the cities. In Rio de Janeiro,
it is possible to learn with the
famous dancer Carlinhos de
Jesus at
Casa de Dança
. In
SOCCER
The amalgam of acrobatic
movements, rhythm, music,
and song make
capoeira
(see p199)
a big draw. Almost
every city has an academy.
Zebra & Pepi
take lessons
on the Itacaré beaches. In
Salvador,
Filhos de Bimba
is
one of the best and most
famous
capoeira
schools.
With several branches outside
Brazil, it strives to keep alive
the regional spirit of
capoeira
.
It is possible to arrange day
and residential soccer camps,
as well as team and individual
training sessions or family
packages. The coaching
programs vary from a week
to several months and may
include friendly games and
tournaments for players
between 6 and 18 years of
VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS
Volunteers can work in
non-profit organizations
contributing in the field of
education, child welfare,
health, ecology, and
theenvironment. This is a
good way of getting to know
local people, and at the
same time making a social
contribution. These programs
are open to adults of any
age, and may include
homestay with a Brazilian
family. The program duration
commonly varies from two
to ten months. To enroll
contact
Diálogo Language
School
,
World Study
,
AFS
Intercultura Brasi
l
, or
BIL
Intercâmbios
. For all such
programs, a basic knowledge
of Portuguese is required.
A rigorous soccer training session, Ipanema beach, Rio de Janeiro City
