The Beatboxing, Dancing Nuns Expanding the Flock in Brazil

There was a party at the convent.

One break dancer who introduced himself as the Wizard was doing backflips. Another was spinning on his back. There were spotlights, a rapper, two cameramen and a Chevy lowrider with a sound system in the trunk and the bass turned up.

In the middle of it all were Sister Marizele Rego and Sister Marisa Neves — Brazil’s sudden star nuns — and their cluster of backup dancers in habits, crosses and veils.

The nuns were recording the music video for their new song, “Vocation,” which had become a hit since Sister Marizele sang the catchy hook and beatboxed as Sister Marisa danced in sync on a Brazilian Catholic television show three weeks earlier.

The resulting clip rocketed around the world, racking up tens of millions of views. There were memes, imitations and performances on late-night television. On ABC’s “The View,” Whoopi Goldberg called the nuns a “real-life ‘Sister Act.’”