Capoeira almost eludes definition. According to coach André Cerutti, it is much more than a dance or a sport – it's a tool of life. "Some people call it martial arts, I call it a Brazilian art form," says the 46-year-old black belt.
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At the heart of capoeira is a close relationship between movement and music. Players must take their cues from the orchestra, usually consisting of several "berimbau" (a single-string instrument resembling an archer's bow that uses a stone to control pitch), "pandeiros" (tambourines) and an "atabaque" (conga-like drum).
The acrobatics involved are extremely taxing, says French-born player Clement Bramy. "You work everything in your body, you don't have to go to the gym to work out."
Capoeira's chime will echo across the city in September as Australia honours 70 years of diplomatic relations with Brazil. On Monday, celebrations in Canberra will mark Brazilian Independence Day. Exclusive business lunches and cocktail parties will follow through the week in Sydney.
On September 20, the sounds, smells and spirit of South America's largest nation will fill Darling Harbour for Ritmo Brazilian Day, held annually since 2000.
The Brazilian consul-general in Sydney, Carlos de Abreu, says we are witnessing "a turning point" in the relationship between the two countries. Direct investment in both directions is now about $US15 billion ($21.3 billion) a year. Brazilian companies investing in Australia include aircraft manufacturer Embraer, electrical engineers WEG, and Australia's largest meat producer, J.B. Smith.
"There's plenty of money on the table," Mr de Abreu says. "Governments, we can open doors, but really the private sector needs to run the extra mile."
The Australia Brazil Business Council, established in May, try to do exactly that. More than 60 people have already registered for a business delegation to Brazil scheduled for February. Then in August, Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Summer Olympics, expected to attract close to the 30,000 Australians who travelled to Brazil for last year's soccer World Cup.
"There's a lot of action here," Mr de Abreu says. "This next month and year will be very intense in our relationship."
The number of Brazilian students in Australia is also expected to boom to 20,000 from 13,000 in the next few years, according to the consulate. Many of them practise capoeira – Mr Cerutti counts 600 students in Sydney, and enrolments are growing.
But bilateral trade between the two countries is only about $US1.7 billion a year. Mr de Abreu says that's "absolutely nothing" given the size of our respective economies.
"There is huge untapped potential here," he says. "This is the beauty of this relationship. The private sector, students, tourists: they are ahead of us. Way of ahead us."
