Maria was born in the Sertão of Minas. Descendent of moors, she was raised in a place where folk songs and dances were a part of life, where magic blended with reality.

Being fascinated by the tales of "Arabian Nights", dancing was a natural re-encounter.

Azeni Passos - Press assessor

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Curriculum

1982 to 1987 - Hatha yoga
1982 - Initiated in Self Realization Fellowship - Yogananda
1988 - Started taking Belly Dance and Flamenco classes
1991 - Start as Belly Dance teacher
1992 - Massage Therapy course with Sidney Donatelli, at the Oswald de Andrade Cultural Center, in São Paulo
1992 - Started taking Tai Chi Chuan classes
1992 - Started Astrology course, completed in 1997
1993 - Started taking Indian Dance classes (Bharata Natyan), until 1997
1994 - Belly Dance presentations in Egypt
1995 - Participations in the "Magical Dances" show in Porto Alegre/Brazil
1996 - Study trip to India and Nepal
1996 - Lectures about "Sacred Dances" at the Second Congress of Mystiqué, in Canela/Brazil, along with great names such as José Hermógenes, Lama Shankya Zangpo, and Patrick Drouot
1997 - Starts volunteer work with homeless children for São Paulo Hospital´s "Project Quixote" /Brazil, teaching contemporary rhythms, folk and religious dances of other cultures.
1997 - Initiated in REIKI I with Master Upanishad.
1998 - REIKI II with Master Inês Rodrigues de Souza;
1998 - AURA SOMA THERAPYST – with Antonieta Silva in São João Del Rei/Brazil
1999 - REIKI III with Master Flávia Macedo
1999 to 2000 - Tai-Chi-Chuan Yang 24 movements with Sonia Irya
2001 - MASTER in REIKI with Inês Rodrigues de Souza
2001 - Initiated in the Female Bhudda of Cure TARE school of Tibetan Tantric Bhuddism, with Lama Gangchen Rimpoche
2001 to 2004 - Greater dedication to the practice of Tai Chi Chuan, and initiated classes of Northern Shaolin Kung-fu and Chi Kung
2002 to 2004 - Developed Ch´i-Dance course, based on sacred dances and Chinese martial arts
2003 - Achieved the Diploma for French language by Nancy University
2004 - First class of Ch´i-Dance at Spaço-Art Dance School/São Paulo
2004 - Instructor training for Tai Chi Chuan at the Yang Chengfu Tai Chi Chuan and Oriental Culture Brazilian Society
2005 - Started giving Ch´i-Dance classes in Porto Alegre, at Baka Art House.
2006/2007 - Aikido with Sensei Ono, worked as Graphical Designer, and gave dance classes.
2008 - Trips to Canada and dedicated time to writing a book about Sacred Dances.
2009 - Tai Chi Chuan at Zu Lai temple in Cotia.