Molly Lee, aka Instrutora Esquilo began capoeira in 1998 in Vancouver, Canada
with Mestre Barrao of Axe Capoeira. In 2000, she moved to New York and studied under
Contra-mestre Jo. She is currently proud to be a part of Capoeira Brasil NYC's growing
family led by Instrutora Coruja and Instrutor Tuzinho under the guidance of Mestre Boneco.
Out of her passion for capoeira, Molly has traveled worldwide to places such as
Los Angeles, San Diego, Washington, Toronto, Utrecht, Holland, Rio de Janeiro, Recife,
Sao Paulo and Bahia, Brazil. She has performed for companies including NBC, Nike
Women, and for schools such as Middlebury College, Penn State University, and the
Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
For the past several years, she has been invited to teach workshops at cultural
events such as the Sunray Elder's Peace Gathering in Lincoln, Vermont and the Catskill
World Women's Drum & Music Happenin'. She has also performed with non-profit organizations
including Mestre Jelon's Capoeira Foundation and in front of Congress in Washington,
D.C. with Mestre Boneco's G.I.N.G.A.
(Gang Intervention Nationwide Guiding Adolescence).
Since 2004, Molly has been dedicated to teaching capoeira to children with learning
disabilities at the Churchill School and Center in Manhattan. In addition to being
a capoeira instructor, she is the founder and director of
Energizing Nutrition, a thriving holistic health and nutrition practice
in New York city.
Molly values what capoeira has brought her and is continuosly learning from her
teachers, peers and students. She believes capoeira can be a healthy vehicle of
expression for individuals of any age, race or gender; an artful medium which has
the ability to re-connect individuals with themselves and their community. As well,
she sees the movement, music and traditions of capoeira as a way to spread positive
"axe" (energy) and promote unity, love and respect. In essence a truly holistic
art form, one which not only balances but invigorates the mind, body and spirit.