It
all started in a church basement in 1966. Now, over 30 years later, the
Brazilian Carnival Ball, held in Toronto each year, is the biggest annual
Brazilian Ball held anywhere in the world outside Brazil. The 40 dancers
who strut their stuff are "imported" to Canada to perform for the 1,600
guests who raise up to 1.5 million dollars in a one-night stand each year
for such worthy causes as the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Alzheimer's
Disease Research, the Sunnybrook Health Centre, Variety – the Children's
Charity, and so much more. The costumes of the dancers, as viewed here,
often cost more than $10,000 each. And when the Samba Brasil Samba Band
explodes into its hot, throbbing beat, costumed dancers weave onto the
floor to the tempestuous beat of drums and the infectious rhythm of the
hottest dance music in the world. [Photo, courtesy Onnig Cavoukian]