View #3 of a multifaceted look at: First Friday

My First Friday Experience

Words and photos by Ashley Kirk

When I think about First Friday the most common thoughts that pop into my head are bars, drinking, and, well, more bars. I’m sure most people would think the same thing, but I have always wanted to check out the scoops on the artistic aspect.

And so my journey began this past Friday. After driving in circles and finally finding parking, my friend and I made our way into the crowd of people that flooded the streets of Chinatown.

After walking a few blocks we stumbled upon a large group gathered in a park by the Hawai‘i Theatre. Making our way into the center of the commotion, both of us lit up with excitement as we realized what we had just discovered . . . capoeira!

Capoeira is a Brazilian dance that incorporates martial arts. It was so amazing to watch  In a semicircle, the artists would each take turns "battling" in groups of two. They were not hurting each other; it was more like watching You Got Served, but martial-arts style. I saw high kicks, flips, spins and moves that I cannot even describe!  There were even a couple times where I thought I was going to get kicked in the face because I was so close to the action.

Some styles were slow and graceful, and then there were styles that looked like someone turned on the fast-forward button. It involved flexibility, strength and an extreme amount of focus, because one wrong move and a person’s foot could end up in the other person’s mouth.

It also involved music. The group had its own band and would each take turns playing the instruments and singing. I could not understand the lyrics but the music had a catchy beat and my friend and I just made up our own words.

What I also liked about this performance was that the capoeira group encouraged the audience to clap to the music and sing along with them. I felt like we were all one big, happy family, all getting along and having a good time. This was the type of experience that you cannot buy, and that’s what made it so special.