Rio de Janeiro samba schools prepare for upcoming Carnival parades

Preparations for the Rio de Janeiro Carnival are underway, with major samba schools making strategic moves for upcoming parades.

Estácio de Sá is preparing for its centenary celebration in 2027. The school's mestre-sala and porta-bandeira couple, Raphaela and Feliciano, are focusing on honoring the institution's hundred-year history through their performance and symbolic costumes.

Meanwhile, Unidos da Tijuca has hired choreographer and rehearsal instructor Ana Formighieri to work with its first mestre-sala and porta-bandeira couple, Marcinho Siqueira and Cristiane Caldas. Formighieri, a professional dancer with extensive experience in classical and contemporary dance, aims to apply her specialized preparation methods to the duo ahead of their parade at the Marquês de Sapucaí.