Graduada Toninha began training Capoeira under Mestra Márcia “Cigarra” in 2008. She was immediately drawn in by the athleticism, the playfulness, and the grace of the unique art form and by the strong sense of community it created. She has been a member of the ACSF performance troupe since 2010 and has joined them in performances at the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, Cuba Caribe, and The Spirit of Brazil. She has represented the United States at the 2019 Jogos Norte Americanos in Mexico City and the 2021 Jogos Mundiais Online. She has also participated in countless educational performances at schools and youth programs around the San Francisco Bay Area.

Graduada Toninha has traveled to Brazil four times to participate in workshops for the Jogos Mundiais and most recently in 2019 for Mestre Camisa’s ZUMBIMBA. She has also trained at ABADÁ schools in Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. In 2017, she partnered with the city of Visalia California’s Parks and Recreations Department to teach Capoeira to youth and adults as part of their city’s Fall and Winter/Spring semesters after school programs. She is very happy to be participating in teaching ACSF’s youth classes beginning in 2021.

Graduada Toninha’s latest accomplishment was in December 2021 at our ACSF Graduation event, with the online presence of many Mestres and Mestrandos of ABADA worldwide, she received the level of Verde/ Roxa, green/Purple cord level, which is a transition level to become Roxa the Instrutora level.