Founder of BATOTO YETU, one of the pioneers Angolan choreographers, who fuses traditional and modern dance from his native country, he begins his career at RTP (National Portuguese Television) and at the National Theater D. Maria II. He settled in New York studying at the Dance Theater of Harlem, he studied classical ballet with Maggie Black and choreography with Bessie Schonberg. He worked extensively as a choreographer, winning an Emmy, fame and international recognition with his work. He staged and choreographed for the National Black Theater, Jacques D’Amboise’s National Dance Institute, among others. He received the United Nations Peace Medal in 2001 and the Sun Days Award in the same year. In 2003, the Samuel and May Rudin Community Service award from Child Magazine and the Children’s Champion award. He is also co-author of African Dance: Drumbeat in Our Feet along with Patricia Keeler, published in September 2004 by Bebop Books, and printed by Lee & Low Books, Inc. Currently, live and work in New York, USA. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx Artist and Choreographer

Founder of BATOTO YETU, Graduated in Art History, Faculty of Arts and Letters
of the University of Havana (Cuba, 1993), Adriano has more than 20 years of profes- sional experience related to the different manifestations of art and culture, particularly the management of projects and institutions, about the practices and knowledge of artistic circuits, on the social role of the artist and on the market and economics of culture, among others.

He currently works as a Cul- tural Adviser at the Angolan Embassy in Spain and is currently working on the book
The Infinite Wall: a panorama of contemporary art today.

He has four books published:
Os Romances Tanda (Edições Chá de Caxinde. Luanda, 2006) - Tanda’s Love Affairs (in English)
O Ocaso dos Pirilampos (Guerra e Paz. Lisboa, 2014) - The Sunset of the Fireflies (in English), awarded the literary prize Sagrada Esperança (2013)

Livro de Ensaios Made in Angola: arte contemporânea, artistas e debates (Editions L`harmattan. Paris, 2009) - The Book of Memoirs Made in Angola: contemporary
art, artists and debates (in English)

O beijo da Madame Ki-zerbo (Guerra e Paz. Lisboa, 2017) The kiss of Madame Ki-Zerbo (in English) This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx