ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author starts with the assumption that the virtual capoeira community is an extension of the embodied capoeira community. Despite being made illegal, capoeira continued to be practiced, particularly in the northeastern state of Bahia where enforcement of the penal code was more lax, and by the mid-1930s several capoeira academies registered with the government and began teaching classes. Responses such as these imply that fidelity to an original score, loosely defined, is what marks a performer as legitimate. Alternatively, one might assess authenticity in terms of how closely a group outside of Brazil adheres to traditional aspects of the capoeira ritual. Physical interference has been a crucial form of activism and has contributed to the success of various civil rights initiatives. Despite the right that US citizens have to peaceful assembly, a variety of factors including actions by provocateurs and disproportionate responses by police have escalated tensions at recent protests, often resulting in dangerous situations.
