Last night was the first of two nights in which Rio de Janeiro’s samba schools parade, with the songs, themes, floats, and costumes I previously wrote about on full display. Below, are collections of images for each of the first seven schools to parade through the Sambódromo, with their themes in parenthesis (the other schools go tonight). You can get a sense of just how complex, well-planned, and multi-faceted Rio’s major Carnaval celebration is. [And G.R.E.S. stands for “Grêmio Recreativo Escola de Samba,” or “Recreational Club Samba School].

G.R.E.S. Renascer de Jacarepaguá (“”O Artista da Alegria dá o Tom da Folia,” about Romero Britto, a Brazilian who creates Pop Art)

G.R.E.S. Portela ( “…E o povo na rua cantando é feito uma reza, um ritual…” drawing on Bahian religion and culture)

G.R.E.S Imperatriz Leopoldinense (“Jorge, Amado Jorge,” based on a famous 20th-century author from the Northeast)

G.R.E.S Mocidade Independente de…