Capoeristas are martial artists, musicians, singers, dancers. While it was once outlawed in Brazil, today it is the country’s national sport practiced in academies and Universities. In the last fifty years capoeira has found its way to all corners of the globe and became the prime instrument of diffusion of the Brazilian culture and language.
Known in the capoeira world as “Pipoca”, Frederica formed in dance, music as well as theater arts since a young age. While living in her home Country, Italy, as a teenager she studied piano and voice at the conservatory (Conservatorio Niccolò Paganini di Genova), and she performed in various theater companies (Teatro G.A.G).
While studying physics at Università degli Studi di Bologna, she continued studying theater and dance, training in ballet, modern and contemporary styles and contact improvisation. Pipoca began her capoeira training with Groupo Capoeira Brasil in 2006 under the guidance of Istrutor Guerreiro in Boston, MA, where she was pursuing a Physics Ph.D.
She became a direct student of renowned Mestre Cabeça in 2008. Pipoca found that capoeira allowed her to exploit and channel her diverse training and has since focused on this discipline. Pipoca has participated in competitive events in the United States, Brazil and France. In 2009 she began teaching under the supervision of Mestre Cabeça. In 2010 she moved to California, to continue her research carrier in physics at UCSB, and is now teaching and training under the supervision of Professor Aranha, one of the highest ranking member of Mestre Cabeça’s group.
