Rio de Janeiro: Samba school Imperio da Tijuca opened Rio's famed Carnival parade Sunday night with an over-the-top display that included buxom dancers in bikinis and feathers, thumping drum sections and a float shaped like a giant crustacean.
Six schools were scheduled to parade in the Sambodrome on the first night of a two-night competition, which attracts thousands of spectators and millions of television viewers. Many Brazilians have a favorite samba school that they root for with a passion rivaled only by the allegiances for Brazil's football teams.
