The dance stems from the skill and agility of capoeira fighters, who improvise leaps to the electrifying sound of steel orchestras and bands.

UNESCO: MEDIA SERVICES

Retreats like The Island Experience allow visitors to experience Ilha Grande's splendour through a program of sea-kayaking and hiking, along with yoga and capoeira (Brazilian martial art) workshops from its ocean-front perch.

BBC: Brazil��s threatened slice of paradise

Hispanic populations practice the Brazilian dance-fight game Capoeira.

FORBES: Worldly Workouts

To mark the countdown to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Big Screen hosted a Cultural Olympiad Open Weekend in July 2010 with tribal belly dancing, martial arts demonstrations, capoeira and an urban triathlon.

BBC: 4 February - 19 March