Instrutora Formiguinha

Instrutora Forminguinha (Leticia Monteiro)

Leticia Monteiro, known as Instrutora Formiguinha in the Capoeira community, began playing Capoeira in 1998, during her sophomore year at Hunter College CUNY. An ardent athlete, Leticia found joy and fulfillment, spiritually and physically, playing Capoeira. She soon found herself training 5-6 times a week, trying to perfect the movements and techniques of the game. Leticia’s training paid off in 2001 when she won second place in her rank (Yellow cord) in the Goodwill Games in New York.

With a growing passion for the art of Capoeira, Leticia took her training abroad. In 2004, Leticia traveled to Brazil for the first time, visiting Sao Paulo, Salvador, and Rio de Janeiro.  After her first trip, she returned to Brazil four times. These subsequent trips included visits to the cities of Victoria, Aracaju, and Bahia. Leticia has also participated in Capoeira workshops in Brussels, Belgium and in Barcelona, Spain.

Currently, Leticia is training under the instruction of Professor Lampréia, founder of Motumbaxé Capoeira and Artistic Director of Allied Capoeira Arts Initiative (A.C.A.I), a non-profit organization. She earned her current purple cord in 2009. Leticia sits on the Board of Directors of A.C.A.I. as Secretary, helping to meet its mission to promote, foster, and develop an understanding and appreciation for the Afro-Brazilian martial art, music and dance form of Capoeira.

Leticia completed her B.S. in Physical Education in May 2003 and her M.S. in Physical Therapy at Hunter College CUNY in May 2007. She currently works as a physical therapist with the Department of Education, and Saint Mary’s Hospital for Children’s ICD weekend program. She is also Assistant Director of a nonprofit organization called Project HAPPY (a Hunter College Saturday sports program for people with special needs). In her work as a physical therapist, she often incorporates Capoeira movements into her patients’ treatment plans. Leticia also teaches Capoeira at Studio Maya in Brooklyn, NY.