Talent hunt in samba schools: Meet Brazil's future Carnival stars

It's Friday night, and the Portela samba school is buzzing with excitement. On the upper floors, dressmakers are fixing the last details of the costumes, while downstairs, the batucada drummers have already started to warm up. Tonight, February 2, is the final rehearsal before the school parades in Rio de Janeiro's famous Sambodrome. But the dancers in training are not the ones you would expect. Tonight, the stage is set for Filhos da Aguia, - 'Sons of the Eagle' - Portela's children's section.

Stars in the making

With her hands on the metal barriers surrounding the stage, Raquel dos Santos Camillo, 33 years old, only has eyes for her son, João Vitor, 12 years old. She dances, jumps, and knows the school's song as well as her boy. 

"João wanted to start playing football, but I didn't have money for that. So I said to him, 'Come and try a samba lesson, and then we'll see.' It was six months ago, and he hasn't wanted to leave since," Raquel tells Global South World. Located in Madureira, an impoverished neighbourhood in the northern district of Rio, the school opens its doors for free to all community residents.

"What I liked about the school was the music. When I arrived here, I didn't know how to dance. It took me about one or two months to learn," said the teenager dressed entirely in white like a professional passista — one of the protagonists in the carnival parade. After only six months, João has found his way. He wants to become a professional dancer - and so does his mother: "I want him to do what he likes. But to see him become a professional passista would be a dream come true," said Raquel.

The young mother has reasons to believe this. "We have discovered many singers, passistas, and porta-bandeiras [dancers in charge of carrying the school's flag during the parade] at the school. Many of them have become professionals and even famous," explained Celsinho de Andrade, the school's president. He cited João Pedro as an example, a singer in the famous samba group Caju pra Baixo, who started as the lead singer in Filhos de Aguia and now parades every year for Portela, the 'mother school'.

Hope for a brighter future

But beyond personal ambitions, the samba-mirim school seeks to be an actor within the community. “The most important thing for us is socialisation. The samba school allows for a mix of social classes: we have children of entrepreneurs dancing with those of factory workers, or with kids of unemployed parents. We also try to include children with disabilities: we have about a dozen dancers with Down syndrome, for example," said Celsinho.

Education is also a priority at the school. The centre has a classroom that helps students who are passing the Enem, Brazil’s university entrance exams. In 2023, Filhos da Aguia established a partnership with the Fluminense Federal University (UFF), organising workshops to introduce students to science, as well as providing tutoring. 

The institution also requires its students to pass all their classes to participate in the parade. This requirement is welcomed by Simone Cristina Jesus Santana, whose daughter Maria Clara will parade for the first time on February 10. 

"If she wants to pursue a career, I'll support her. But whatever path she chooses, she'll have to perform well in school. No good grades, no parade!"