Erica Hemenway (Graduada Toninho) began training capoeira under Mestra Marcia "Cigarra" at ABADÁ-Capoeira San Francisco (ACSF) in 2008. She was immediately drawn in by the athleticism, the playfulness and the grace of the unique art form and by the strong sense of community it created.
Graduada Toninho has been a member of the ACSF performance troupe since 2010 and has joined them in performance at the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival (2011), Cuba Carribe (2015, 2016), The Spirit of Brazil (2013, 2015, 2017), as well as parade performances for San Francisco Carnaval (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014), San Francisco Pride Parade (2012, 2013, 2014) and countless educational performances at schools and youth programs around the San Francisco Bay Area.
Graduada Toninho has traveled to Brazil three times to participate in workshops for the Jogos Mundiais, and has the great fortune to take workshops from the mestres and mestrandos of ABADÁ-Capoeira, including Mestre Camisa. She has also trained at ABADÁ schools in Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. She is very excited to be teaching in Visalia and hopes others are as inspired by capoeira as she has been.
