Bio & Mission
Gisella Ferreira
Gisella Ferreira is a Brazilian American performance artist and instructor specializing in Samba, Afro-Brazilian, Capoeira, Hip- Hop, Street Jazz, Funk dance and Zumba® fitness instruction. She currently resides in Los Angeles Ca, where she performs with her dance company Samba Soul as well as with Brasil Baile Funk & Ballet Folkloric do Brasil. Gisella tours and performs worldwide and trains extensively in the U.S. as well as Brasil and has taught dance for over 14 years in Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Salvador (Brasil) and Los Angeles CA. Recently she has been providing Samba training for Zumba® instructors across the U.S. as well as teaching Zumba® in the Los Angeles community 7 days a week. As a dancer, choreographer, director and instructor Gisella Ferreira travels the world, sharing her passion for dance, fitness and culture through teaching and performance art where ever she goes.
Her teachers include: Gary Kendell of JabbaWockeez crew, Carmela Woll, Neguinho do Samba, Joy Smith, Mestre Amen Santo and her Brazilian family & friends. Currently Gisella resides in Los Angeles California, directing, choreographing, performing and instructing. She directs and choreographs for Abeni, an Afro-Brazilian/Hip-Hop music and dance company which she founded in 2009 in collaboration with Musical Director Dana Maman. She teaches Samba, Hip-Hop and Zumba in Los Angeles communities and trains Zumba teachers to Samba all over the Country. She continues to train in many dance forms including Capoeira with Capoeira Batuque, as well as teaching Capoeira for Batuque youth program. She dances for company Ballet Folclorico do Brasil (Directed by Amen Santo) performing weekly in Los Angeles. She loves sharing her passion for music & dance as well as knowledge, community and history through celebration and performance.
Dance Companies Performance Venues: The Palace of Fine Arts(San Francisco), The John Ansen Ford Theatre (Los Angeles), The Dorthy Chandler Pavilian (Los Angeles), The House of Blues(Sunset Blvd), The Roxy (Sunset Blvd), Highways Performance Space (Santa Monica), UCLA Gloria Kaufman Hall, UCLA Royce Hall, UCLA Fowler Museum, Temple Bar (Santa Monica), Walt Disney Concert Hall, Chinese New Year (Hong Kong), Carnival ( Brazil), Shakira Video Waka Waka, Nike Samba Commercial, Carnaval (Club Nokia), American Idol etc.
Mission:
*To create art with a message and purpose
*To share her passion for Music and Dance through teaching and performance.
*To inspire & motivate people to live fit and healthy lives full of music & dance.
* To empower and build community through arts education & celebration.
* To provide access to arts education for disadvantaged youth in the U.S. & Brazil.
Gisella Ferreira is a Brazilian American performance artist and instructor specializing in Samba, Afro-Brazilian, Capoeira, Hip- Hop, Street Jazz, Funk dance and Zumba® fitness instruction. She currently resides in Los Angeles Ca, where she performs with her dance company Samba Soul as well as with Brasil Baile Funk & Ballet Folkloric do Brasil. Gisella tours and performs worldwide and trains extensively in the U.S. as well as Brasil and has taught dance for over 14 years in Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Salvador (Brasil) and Los Angeles CA. Recently she has been providing Samba training for Zumba® instructors across the U.S. as well as teaching Zumba® in the Los Angeles community 7 days a week. As a dancer, choreographer, director and instructor Gisella Ferreira travels the world, sharing her passion for dance, fitness and culture through teaching and performance art where ever she goes.
Her teachers include: Gary Kendell of JabbaWockeez crew, Carmela Woll, Neguinho do Samba, Joy Smith, Mestre Amen Santo and her Brazilian family & friends. Currently Gisella resides in Los Angeles California, directing, choreographing, performing and instructing. She directs and choreographs for Abeni, an Afro-Brazilian/Hip-Hop music and dance company which she founded in 2009 in collaboration with Musical Director Dana Maman. She teaches Samba, Hip-Hop and Zumba in Los Angeles communities and trains Zumba teachers to Samba all over the Country. She continues to train in many dance forms including Capoeira with Capoeira Batuque, as well as teaching Capoeira for Batuque youth program. She dances for company Ballet Folclorico do Brasil (Directed by Amen Santo) performing weekly in Los Angeles. She loves sharing her passion for music & dance as well as knowledge, community and history through celebration and performance.
Dance Companies Performance Venues: The Palace of Fine Arts(San Francisco), The John Ansen Ford Theatre (Los Angeles), The Dorthy Chandler Pavilian (Los Angeles), The House of Blues(Sunset Blvd), The Roxy (Sunset Blvd), Highways Performance Space (Santa Monica), UCLA Gloria Kaufman Hall, UCLA Royce Hall, UCLA Fowler Museum, Temple Bar (Santa Monica), Walt Disney Concert Hall, Chinese New Year (Hong Kong), Carnival ( Brazil), Shakira Video Waka Waka, Nike Samba Commercial, Carnaval (Club Nokia), American Idol etc.
Mission:
*To create art with a message and purpose
*To share her passion for Music and Dance through teaching and performance.
*To inspire & motivate people to live fit and healthy lives full of music & dance.
* To empower and build community through arts education & celebration.
* To provide access to arts education for disadvantaged youth in the U.S. & Brazil.
2007-2008 Hip-Hop Residency with Escola Didá in Salvador Bahia, Brazil
