Expressive Arts Orchestrator

Biography

Short Bio   

Saman Dashti is an expressive arts facilitator helping people experience warrior arts culture. He is a Contremestre in the Afro-Brazilian art of Capoeira. Saman received his Capoiera artist name Macaco (monkey) because of the style of his physical prowess.  He is one of the  lead members of Grupo Liberdade de Capoeira of Mestre Cigano.

Saman was raised in Jamaica Queens  and studied  Environmental Sciences at UC Berkeley. He learned Capoeira in Newark NJ. As Teaching Artist Macaco he spent 12 years teaching art residencies in NYC area schools. His students cross diverse socioeconomic groups including children with special needs, autism and in behavioral health communities. Macaco travels to Bahia, Brazil to visit with elders in the arts. These sabbaticals provide in-depth experiences of the cultural context of the arts that are the foundation of his teaching. 

Macaco is currently an arts educator and art circle celebrant in the intentional communities of central Virginia. His home is in Charlottesville. There he teaches in disenfranchised communities and partners with arts organizations that focus on proactively building community through arts education.