Kevin Brett started training with the Group Axé Capoeira in 1994 and was graduated to the level of Monitor, assistant instructor, in June of 1999, where he began teaching Capoeira under the guidance of world renowned Brazilian Capoeira Champion, Mestre Marcos Barrão. After an eighteen-month apprenticeship, Kevin received his Instructors belt. With the support of his Mestre, Kevin registered his own school of Capoeira, Brazilian Martial Arts, in January of 2001, in Victoria BC, where he continues to teach today with the rank of Professor. Professor Testa travels to Brazil every year where he has competed and performed since 1998. Under the careful tutelage of his mentor, Mestre Barrão, the Victoria group has grown to over 100 students across the city, and has developed a performance group that is a regular feature at many of the Festivals across the city.

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Marco “Pezao” is a graduated student of the Axe Capoeira Academy where he has trained on a daily basis for the past seven years. He was was born and raised in Victoria and graduated from Spectrum High school. At the age of eleven, he was the youngest person in the only Capoeira class on Vancouver Island. His natural talent and dedication soon became apparent and with the guidance and coaching of Professor Testa and Mestre Barrao, Marco progressed quickly. From very early on, Marco was fortunate to travel to various cities in North America and Europe where he saw many other styles and schools and trained with world-class instructors and mestres. As well, he met many capoeiristas from all over the world with various backgrounds and has made lasting friends

Andrea began training with Group Axé Capoeira in 1999 when it was first introduced to the city of Victoria, BC. From the moment she saw her first class, she knew that Capoeira was something she intended to explore deeply. More then ten years have past, and she still feels humbled and inspired by this extraordinary art form. Andrea has been involved in Capoeira for ten years, and during that time, she has had the opportunity to share her love of Capoeira with her students through teaching and participating internationally in workshops, festivals and Batizados. She feels grateful and fortunate to be part of a group that was built with the strong foundation of Mestre Barrão’s philosophy, and passed on to her by the passionate and dedicated, Professor Testa. She is committed to working hard to be a complete Capoeirista and strives to reveal the strengthening and unifying benefits of Capoeira in her classes for both children and adults. The Axé Capoeira children’s program, now in its 7th year, has inspired the development of an international charity organization called - kids helping kids. Kids helping kids is a social advocacy group that encourages fundraising, education and physical activity for children in Canada and Brazil. At least once a year, kids helping kids encourages the students to engage in a cultural exchange that also serves as a fundraiser for increasing opportunities for children to participate in cultural activities such as art, dance and music as well as providing lessons of global citizenship. Currently, Monitora Andrea assists with the classes at the successful Axé Capoeira Victoria Academy, where you can find her teaching Afro-Brazilian dance and children’s programs. She also leads a successful program, at the University of Victoria, and performs with the Victoria based group, Batuque Axé, a 12 piece live Brazilian music band.

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