Frevo is a dance-driven march played in a very fast, binary tempo. A derivation of martial polka, it used to be called "northeastern martial music" or "martial music from Pernambuco" in the early days, when capoeira athletes led their groups on parades. The bouncing dance steps bear a strong resemblance to Russian folk dances. The colorful parasols carried by frevo dancers represent defense weapons. As lyrics and tune formats were added to frevo, the style became known throughout the country.