Lívia de Paula Machado Pasqua holds a PhD in Physical Education from UNICAMP ─ State University of Campinas, on the subject of ‘Capoeira floreios and the African diaspora’. She is the first woman to take up the chair of Capoeira in the Department of Wrestling at the School of Physical Education and Sports at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (EEFD-UFRJ), in 2022.
In capoeira, she is Professor Pilha, of ABADÁ-Capoeira (Brazilian Association for the Support and Development of Capoeira Art). She also coordinates the research group LABCAPO – Laboratório Capoeira and the extension project CAPOUFRJ ─ Capoeira at the University. She is also coordinator of the PIBID Physical Education Subproject, all at EEFD-UFRJ. Since 2000 she has been working in the arts, performing in Brazil and abroad.