Our Story

Our History

Founded in 1991, Afro Brazil Arts' (ABA) mission is to inspire leadership and community through capoeira.

For over 30 years, ABA has, as a NYC-based non-profit organization, provided programs and hosted events throughout the US, Europe, Israel and Brazil.

In 1988, Michael Goldstein, a.k.a Mestre Ombrinho, pioneered New York City’s first year-round capoeira programs at two Bronx high schools. In hundreds of New York-area schools, ABA has since produced thousands of performances and classes, earning consistently stellar praise from school administration, parents, and children. 

ABA brings the beauty, wisdom, and culture of this Afro Brazilian martial art hidden in dance to schools, colleges, cultural centers, city parks, senior centers, and special needs populations.

ABA has collaborated with arts organizations such as City Center, World Music Institute, the Guggenheim Museum, and Arts Horizons. It has also partnered with schools and universities, including Cornell, Yale, Princeton, and the Juilliard School.

ABA’s annual teacher conferences ensure that our teachers are able to practice and teach our brand of Mindful Capoeira, which supports children’s safe learning and development.

Our Founder

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Michael Goldstein, known in the capoeira world as Mestre Ombrinho, is Afro Brazil Art’s  founder and Executive Director.

He has dedicated close to 40 years to practicing capoeira and enriching the lives of people of all ages through his leadership of capoeira programs. 

Mestre Ombrinho is the first non-Brazilian to become a capoeira master, and is widely respected for his capoeira skills and knowledge—especially for his ability to develop excellent teachers and make the art accessible to people who are experiencing it for the first time. 

Under his leadership, ABA has produced close to 1000 performances and many thousands of classes featuring capoeira and Brazilian music and dance. Also critical to ABA's mission is the training of the next generation of master teaching artists. 

Mestre Ombrinho is also the Head Instructor of the New York Mindful Capoeira Center, training adults in the art of capoeira. Widely respected in the international community of capoeira, Capoeira Angola Quintal, the Brazilian name for our group, has been invited to participate in capoeira events and conferences all over the world. CAQ, based in New York City, operates programs in several colleges and universities in New York including The New School University and Borough of Manhattan Community College. 

For the past 20 years, Mestre Ombrinho has been active internationally teaching courses, participating in panel discussions, and organizing events and international encounters in Brazil, the US, Israel, and Europe. Each year since 1999, Mestre Ombrinho has led the ABA Capoeira and Cultural Retreat in Brazil, in which North Americans and Brazilians experience capoeira, its culture, and community.

Our Brands

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Capoeira Angola Quintal - Our capoeira angola lineage and collective group training in NYC, Brooklyn, Boston, Ithaca, San Francisco and Charlotte, NC.

New York Mindful Capoeira Center - Our training center and headquarters for our group in NYC

Mindful Capoeira - Our Practicing principles
to contribute to a better world

  • wisdom through sustainable practice and play

  • longevity and a lifelong practice

  • capoeira angola basics and fundamentals

  • intelligence and proper technique, over speed and force

  • cooperation over competition

  • prevention of accidents, injuries and upsets

  • direct learning with elder grand masters

  • appreciation of capoeira’s African and Afro Brazilian roots

  • practice for people of all ages and abilities

  • a supportive and inclusive community