Last Friday, I got to experience my first public performance with Capoeira since I’ve been back, and to say that I had fun would be a major understatement. We celebrated the First Friday Five Event at Centennial Park, getting to show off our choreography, solos, and roda.

This was actually my first time going to the park, so I was surprised at how big the space was. We got to walk around before the event started, so we saw all off the vendors and bounce houses. We stretched, and before I knew it, it was time to begin. 

One thing about me is that I’m always nervous before any event, but as soon as we began all of my anxiety went away. I had so much fun doing the roda and watching the other kids do their choreography and solos. After our performance, we invited people from the crowd to participate, and I was surprised at how many people came up. I couldn’t help but admire how capoeira brought people together, even total strangers. 

Once we were done, a band called Whisky Six went up to perform. I loved their songs and how they interacted with the crowd. Their music warmed everyone up during the cold night. 

After we changed, we decided to check out the food trucks. Our stomachs were actively reminding us of how hungry we were. They had Greek food, tacos, ice cream, BBQ, and one truck that was a Polish and Dominican mix. The rest of the group decided to get tacos, but I was interested in the Polish-Dominican truck. I ordered a Dominican burger that had coleslaw and their chimi saw as toppings. I also got a side of plantains and lemonade. Needless to say, it was delicious.

After we ate, we talked and listened to the music, and then met with the others at the park around the corner. Eventually, we all made our way to the van and headed home. The First Friday Five event was such a heartwarming display of community coming together, and I’m so grateful I was able to be a part of it!