The carnival parade is filled with people and floats from different samba schools. A samba school can either be an actual school or just an association of local neighbors that want to attend carnival. Samba schools include: Mocidade Independente, Unidos da Tijuca, Imperio Serrano, Academicos do Salgueiro, and Beija-Flor de Nilopolis.
The purpose of carnival is for samba schools to try to win with fellow rival schools; this competition is the climax of the whole carnival festival. Each school chooses a theme to try and depict in their entry. The samba schools work to build the best floats and costumes to symbolize their themes, and to include the best music they can from their band called the bateria.
Samba Schools in Brazil
Samba schools in Brazil are basically social and cultural groups that meet at regular intervals to learn and perform Brazilian samba dance, music and carnival costumes. School originated from the time when the early sambistas used to run through near a teachers college. They practice and often perform in huge square-compounds devoted to practicing and exhibiting samba, an African-Brazilian dance. The Samba schools are traditionally associated with a particular neighborhood and most important of which are rehearsals for the main event which is the yearly carnival.