On April 22nd, 2016, ASE hosted Mr. Mamoudou Fassassi, a professor at the English International School, for the weekly Professional Development Seminar.  Mr. Fassassi is an expert on Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art infused dance that is often played as a game. He spoke about the origin of the art form, which was first developed by West African slaves who were taken to Brazil. Capoiera emerged as a way for slaves to bypass laws that prohibited them from practicing martial arts or celebrating their cultural customs. Mr. Fassassi founded the first Capoiera group in Benin in 2002 with the support of the Brazilian ambassador to Benin, and he traveled to Brazil to deepen his knowledge of the art form. He currently works to actively promote Capoeira throughout the country. In addition to providing information on Capoeira’s history and his involvement with this group during the seminar, he also led a live demonstration of the art and showed videos of past Capoeira events in Benin.