Free Angola Capoeira Society

Oba (Dorian Layssard) founded Project Life in 1999 with Curtis Williams and Etienne Vidal as a bookstore and a medicinal herb shop located on the east side of Austin, TX. In the year 2002 Project Life traveled to Belize to establish a cultural exchange program by searching for the presence of African Cultural Arts in Belize. We believe that through divine guidance we were blessed to have found Mr. Danna Myers, Chief of Gales Point Manatee in Belize, who, with compassion welcomed us to live amongst the people of his village and provided us with housing and transportation. The village was originally founded by maroons (runaway slaves) in the 1700s, but due to the village's unique history and subsequent seclusion, it has resulted in a rich and fascinating culture with strong African roots.

After three months of living and learning the culture of the people of Gales Point Village, we were guided to San Ignacio, Belize. After realizing that there was a great need for community youth service in order to serve and empower the local children. Oba and Curtis created a chapter of Free Angola Capoeira Society in Belize. Their purpose was to make aware the possibility of self-mastery through the healing arts of our ancestors. Presently, two of our students are continuing to work with the youths in their village and at the University of Belize.

Our Capoeira program has been active in Texas, since February 2005 and we are currently have classes at the Turner-Robers Recreation Center in northeast Austin. Project Life’s capoeira program offers workshops on the movemnents, music, philosophy, history, as well as culture of capoeira.

Free Angola has given free exhibitions and workshops through out Austin, Texas. Oba, who is the instructor of the Free Angola capoeira classes, has trained with several great masters of Brazil and the US. Some of the most notable are Master Joao Grande, Master Moraes, Master Themba and Master Carlao.

Having grown up in east Austin, he has made it his passion to uplift the underserved youth in his community. Oba is respected as a quality practitioner of the art by his peers & has been given the blessing of these masters to teach the ancient art. Dorian has worked extremely hard to preserve and perpetuate their teachings. He has traveled to study with the greatest practitioners of the day so as to make aware the possibilities of self-mastery through this art-form in order to give it to the local people.

Project Life has targeted inner city youth and young adults because of the many problems that confront them each day. Young people are forced to confront the uglier side of life by dealing with poverty, prejudice, crime, broken homes, low self-esteem and poor or non-existent role models, and because of that they often react inappropriately. Whatever dreams and talents they have can be eclipsed by a sense of ever-growing frustration and despair, until a young man or woman explodes into violence. That is why Capoeira is such a unique way to help these troubled young people.

Young men and women in the program discover a discipline that allows them to express themselves artistically in a way that also allows them to channel pent-up emotions in a positive direction. They discover an art form that combines dance, non-contact fighting movements, music, song, rhythm, theatrical improvisation and more. To perform Capoeira proficiently, students must learn both the ways in which the human body can move and express itself, and the discipline needed to control those movements.

As classes proceed, the students open up and express their inner-most emotions, while at the same time creating movement that is beautiful and artistic. Gradually, students learn the much-needed skills of self-discipline, respect for others, tolerance and the joys of cooperation, all which transfer into their daily lives. Free Angola is focused on preserving the traditional art of capoeira Angola and perpetuating the teachings of Mestre Pastinha, Mestre Joao Grande & Mestre Moraes.

Classes are every Tuesday and Thursday 7pm-9:30pm at 1401B on the corner of 14th and Cedar Street in central Austin from. On Sundays, we have a free kids class from 2:00pm to 3:30pm (adults train with kids).