Mestra Márcia “Cigarra” (Márcia Treidler), originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is ACSF’s founder and artistic director, overseeing and directing all performance and instructional programs. She is the lead instructor for the adult and teen capoeira classes.

Mestra Cigarra is one of the top eight capoeiristas out of more than 50,000 international ABADÁ-Capoeira members and the first female student of Mestre Camisa to be awarded the rank “Mestra,” a title shared with some of the world’s top practitioners. Because capoeira was a male-dominated art form for more than 300 years, Mestra Cigarra’s achievements have cleared the path for other women to excel.

Mestra Cigarra began studying capoeira in 1982 under the world-renowned Mestre Camisa. In 1987, she began to conduct classes for street children, youth, and adults in Rio de Janeiro. In 1991, Mestra Cigarra moved to the U.S. and, in 1997, was granted legal permanent residency as an “alien of extraordinary ability.” That same year, she founded the ACSF Brazilian Arts Center.