Viviane

To understand the Rio samba schools, you have to understand where the schools come from — poor, marginal communities, mostly in the favelas, or shantytowns, of the city. The schools' annual displays cost millions of dollars — a combustible mix of money and poverty, says Aydano Motta, a journalist and author who has written extensively about Rio's samba schools. As she puts it, the Carnival brings both joys and woes to its participants. “The image of a woman in Carnival is very complex, not just for those on the ‘inside’ but for the people on the ‘outside’ as well.

For Viviane, dancing at the carnival helps her forget about everyday problems.

“When I start dancing, when I hear the bateria’s rhythm, I become a completely different person. It is a character that exists there to be happy and to interact with the audience

she said. “I cannot live without samba anymore.” “I’m in love with the samba school whose honor I uphold, and when I die I think they’ll put a Salgueiro crest on my coffin.