A dancer of Mocidade samba school performs during the Carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 20 February 2012. The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, considered the biggest carnival in the world, is a colorful, four day celebration, taking place every year forty days before Easter. The Samba school parades, featuring thousands of dancers, imaginative costumes and elaborate floats, are held on the Sambadrome, a purpose-built stadium in downtown Rio. According to costumes, flow, theme, band music quality and performance, a single school is declared the winner of the competition.
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