Grade 3: Communities Around the World Unit 3 Brazil Lesson 7 Carnival
Carnival in Brazil
Carnival has often been described as “The World’s Biggest Party.” It happens every year, typically 7 weeks before Easter and it’s usually in February, but sometimes in March. The Brazil carnival is celebrated just about everywhere in the country. It is like a week-long non-stop party where there are street festivities, music, dancing and partygoers dressed in costumes and countless balls held in nightclubs across cities in Brazil.
Many cities put on street parades and Samba Parades, such as the Rio de Janeiro carnival, which is the most famous carnival in Brazil. At the Rio Carnival a variety of samba schools (clubs and dance schools) dance through the 700 meter long stretch of the Sambadrome, all dressed in elaborate costumes with colorful decorated floats, as thousands of spectators watch. Rio’s Samba Parade was taken off the streets in 1984 and put into a Sambodromo to make more room for its thousands of spectators.
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This massive Samba Parade consists of the top Samba schools and on each night the schools dance and march as they compete against other Samba schools to be crowned champion. Since 1984, the parade is held at the Sambadrome where twelve of the top samba schools (a club or dancing school) try to win the championship.
Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Grade 3 Integrated Social Studies/English Language Arts Curriculum Page 1 Revised August 2014
Grade 3: Communities Around the World Unit 3 Brazil Lesson 7 Carnival
Each samba school presents a theme which is portrayed by a team of musicians, samba dancers, and well decorated floats. Months of preparation are put in by the samba schools who get the support of thousands of people from their communities to participate. The Carnvalesco or Carnival Director sets the theme and organizes practically everything required for the parade right from the costume designs, decorations, theme song, and much more. The samba schools start planning their program next for year as soon as this year’s Carnival is over. Musicians, architects, fashion designers and choreographers work throughout the year to present 80 minutes of mind blowing samba mania. Each artist puts forth his or her best effort to ensure their samba school’s show will be the most amazing of all.
As the schools pass through the Sambodromo, they are judged on their performance and are awarded points based on different aspects. The judges award points for their performances, among them choreography, costumes, floats, decorations and percussion.
The Samba parade is considered the highlight of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival, where up to 90,000 spectators attend the parade on any given night during the Carnival, and the event is broadcast in numerous countries around the globe. Rio de Janeiro's Carnival drew 4.9 million people in 2011, with 400,000 being foreigners, and was watched by 100 million on television.
Adapted from http://www.brazilmycountry.com/brazil-carnival/rio-de-janeiro-carnival/
Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Grade 3 Integrated Social Studies/English Language Arts Curriculum Page 2 Revised August 2014