Mestre
Pedro.

Growing up with capoeira

Mestre Pedro is the son of Mestre Gato, a founding member of Grupo Senzala. The current Grupo Senzala biography describes him attending capoeira events with his father as a young child and beginning training at the age of seven.

The school’s earlier biography records that he began teaching regular classes in 1995 in Rio de Janeiro. It also describes his involvement in community projects in Canta-Galo and Fallet in 1996.

A new chapter in the UK

Pedro arrived in the UK in May 2000 and was initially based in Edinburgh. His teaching also took him to Glasgow, Stirling and Dundee. The Sheffield biography records a purple cord, at professor level, in November 2000.

His work connected capoeira with arts and dance education, including Northern College in Dundee, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Scottish Youth Dance in Glasgow and Dance Base in Edinburgh.

He moved to Cambridge in 2006 according to the Grupo Senzala biography. His work helped students establish and develop capoeira communities in the UK and further afield.

Teaching, travel and the red cord

Pedro received the red cord in July 2011 at the Vadiação event in Rio de Janeiro. The original school page describes teaching and workshop connections with Cambridge, Norwich, Leicester, Harlow and London, alongside capoeira meetings in Hamburg, Amsterdam, Montpellier, Lyon and Copenhagen.

It also records workshop invitations to Serbia and Indonesia. The wider Senzala biography describes his later work with Capoeira 4 Refugees, including visits to Palestine and Jordan in 2015.

For his own account and current activities, visit the official Grupo Senzala profile of Mestre Pedro.