The mission of the Capoeira Arts Foundation is to preserve, promote and enrich Capoeira, a Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, sports and music. The organization's online store sells related merchandise like promotional bumper stickers, books, CDs, apparel and handcrafted musical instruments. The Capoeira Arts Foundation is located in West Berkeley, one block north of University Avenue.
The Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Center is a nonprofit venue that has won numerous awards. It offers nightly live music, as well as dance and movement classes and benefit shows. This is also a family friendly place, with children 12 and under getting in for free. They have a café open during performances that serves soda, beer, wine and vegetarian fare. After 9 pm, there is a parking lot that opens up across the street that is available for customers to use.
Santooth Building provides a smoke, alcohol and scent free environment playing music from Middle Eastern to jazz to house, and features dancers that stretch, perform contact improv, become meditational, then picking up toward the end of the night, providing a variety of experiences in a single evening. This is a non-judgmental space.
Body Tales offers ongoing classes, one-time workshops, training, retreats and performances in Authentic Movement, a dance therapy accessing the unconscious based on the work of Carl Jung. The studio is a non-profit offering scholarships and a sliding scale for tuition, so cost should not be a prohibitive factor for those interested.
