Mestranda Márcia

Mestranda Márcia "Cigarra" Treidler is ABADÁ-Capoeira SF's President and Artistic Director. She is an exceptional leader and is the vision behind the mission of ACSF. She began studying Capoeira in 1982 under the world-renowned Mestre Camisa in Rio de Janeiro, where, beginning in 1987, she conducted classes for street children, youth, and adults. Since 1987, Treidler has been the highest ranked female student of Mestre Camisa and in the ABADÁ-Capoeira system, and in 1997 was awarded the title of "Mestranda".

Since Capoeira has been a historically male dominated art form, her work has cleared the path for other women to excel in Capoeira. She has now reached 15 of 16 levels in this vigorous ranking system, and is among the top 11 practitioners of this international organization's membership of over 40,000.

Mestranda Márcia moved to the Bay Area in 1991 and founded ABADÁ-Capoeira SF, an organization dedicated to preserving the traditions and expanding the scope of capoeira. Under her artistic direction this non-profit organization has grown to serve over 20,000 people annually through arts education programs, instructional programs, and performance.

In 1997, Treidler was granted permanent residency in the United States after receiving a National Interest Waiver as an "Alien with Extraordinary Abilities." That same year, she founded the ABADÁ-Capoeira SF/ Brazilian Arts Center, located in the Mission District of San Francisco. The center, the first and only Bay Area non-profit venue dedicated to Afro-Brazilian cultural arts, offers classes for youth and adults in capoeira, percussion, Brazilian dance and Portuguese language.

Treidler's work reflects her commitment to the preservation and expansion of an art form that has an invaluable impact on the cultural standing of our communities. Her extensive work with youth and adults, and her outstanding achievements in her field, make Treidler both an effective teacher and a positive role model.

In September 2007, Márcia was awarded the KQED Latino Community Hero Award in recognition for her long-standing impact on Bay Area local communities. In October a documentary video was completed about the life of Mestranda Márcia and the female experience in the art of capoeira. the film, CIGARRA CAPOEIRISTA, was recently screened at San Francisco's Latin Film VIDEOFEST 2007.