Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
unfortunately I cannot remember off the top of my head what primary style master Snipes uses, but it is definitely not Capoeira, though it is possible he has done some cross training in it. I do know that his primary art is a Japanese art. Many arts use spinning manuvers. So just because you saw some spin kicks does not mean that he is using Capoeira. (okay totally didn't mean to sound that agressive, sorry about that)
I believe Mr. Snipes has a solid background in Shotokan karate, as well as a solid background in capoeira. He trained in New York City for a number of years under Mestre Jelon Viera, who has taught there since the 1970s. I believe Mr. Snipes is well past the beginner stage in the art, and is fairly accomplished. I have noted very specific capoeira technique in his movies, specifically the Blade series. Some of them are brief and quick, and done with an odd camera angle and quick editing so if you don't know what it is you might miss it altogether. But it is definitely in there, alongside material from his shotokan and possibly other sources.
I find that Capo. has a very interesting history being that it was created to facilitate practice in the fighting arts without the captors of the brazilian people knowing... that's why it is taught as a dance. I am so going to train in it myself if I ever find a reputable school and the time to devote to it.
This is really probably a myth. In reality, the African people simply had a very different social organization in their cultures, compared to the Europeans. Rhythm and music and a sense of dance are much more prevalent among the African tribal people who were brought as slaves to Brazil. It permeated every aspect of their lives, and was not specifically infused into capoeira in order to disguise it. The art is not taught as a dance, altho the rhythm and music and dancelike elements of the art are definitely part of the whole picture. If you ever see a good capoeira class, it is very clearly a martial method, even tho it can be playful, and would not be described as a "dance class".