Around the holiday season, Aquarela begins preparing for the San Francisco Carnaval Ball. We brainstorm costume ideas, rehearse old and new choreographies, and begin our beauty regime—brown rice and broccoli--tasty! For us, the SF Ball is one of the top shows of the year and we LOVE it!! 
However, this coming ball is going to be very different for me. Since I am currently in grad school and pregnant, I have not attended rehearsals. I’m out of the loop and I hate it because rehearsals are more than just a time to dance and rehearse. It’s my time to bond with some of my closest friends. 
Aquarela is like a second family with Maria Souza as the mother. For the past 25 years, Maria Souza has led Aquarela Dance Ensemble. During this time, she has been a fellow dancer, friend, critic, and mother. She taught me how to dance, make costumes, and build the confidence that I have today. In simple terms, Maria has been one of the most important people in my life. She truly is an amazing woman.
The beginning. Warning! The costumes are outdated but still fabulous. Plus, Maria's white feather costume is to die for.
Carnaval Parade
Silvana: Choreographer, organizer, dancer, and friend.
Micaela: Organizer, dancer, and friend. 
Akiva: Organizer, dancer, and friend.
Dominique: Dancer, friend, and the baby of the group :)Molly: Dancer, friend, and clown. Yes, a professional clown!
Many years ago, I did an article on Contingent Leaders of SF Carnaval. Here's the part about Maria Souza:
ReplyDeleteBIG MAMA Maria Souza, first encountered Carnaval in her home town in Minas Gerais, Brazil, when she was 8 years old. That was a great experience, all family; cousins, brothers, mom, and she was dressed in a blue costume with glitter and sequins on the skirt. In those days, the street parades were on Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday, with the kids parading in the afternoon and the adults at night. The music was called "Marcha". It had lots of instruments like flute, saxaphone, and trombone. Actually, when I was in Recife and Olinda for Carnaval, in the 90's, that's what I heard in the street too.
She is the founder and contingent leader of Aquarela. Nowadays her favorite part of Carnaval isn't just the parade. It's getting ready. Thinking about the costume design, concentrating, getting excited. Rehearsals. Waiting for the parade to start. Then, dancing for the whole thing! Even with the inevitable problems, it's as though nothing happened; only fun. So enjoyable, but over too soon.
She feels that her contingent is very professional, but at the same time, it's like an extended family. Everybody is treated as equal. When someone has an idea for the costume, it's taken seriously and used. The daughters and sons of the contingent have become participants, and bring that youthful excitement every year. As she experiences Carnaval San Francisco, she has learned how to understand and be with people. She is not affected by the inevitable politics, and what she hears, she leaves it there. She doesn't let it get inside. Her focus is to do her thing, make her people happy, and make their dreams come true. She shows San Francisco what the true Rio de Janeiro has about Carnaval. It's an authentic experience including the float, the music, and dance routine. Maria herself is not only is one of the Carnaval Queens, but she has the most Queens and Kings of Carnaval in her contingent. It is the Royal Family.
In the future, hopefully things will get better, for instance maybe the City can help support contingents. It's very expensive now, not just the parade itself, but rehearsal space. Her dream is that one day, every Samba School will unite into one big school.
"Just come to the street and have fun!" she says. And one year, when the small group I was in disintegrated because the musicians didn't show up, 3 of us found ourselves in Maria Souza's family for the day. Even without previous notice, she saved the day for us. Thanks, Mama.
https://www.carnaval.com/sf07/whos-who.html