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Iris De Brito
Connecting, Leading and Healing through the arts of the african diaspora
Biography
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"My mission is to broaden cultural leadership skills, highlight the importance of dance and creative thinking in education and help raise standards in dances of the African diaspora through advocacy, education and performance"
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- Iris De Brito
BA/MA Dance practice
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Currently: Artistic Residence at Largos Residencias / Choreographing and performing "3 Cores Negras" (see projects)
Most Recent:
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Performance & Workshop at The Place London for ADX Festival
Workshop leader at Ecole Des Sables - Senegal
Workshop leader at Imaterial Festival 22 - Évora/ Portugal
Presenter and workshop facilitator at NOVA University Lisbon, program for Executives.
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Project Manager at Batoto Yetu Small Grants program - Lisbon/Portugal
Social Media & communications Manager for Feel the Rhythm productions yearly festival.
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Other:
Focus group guest at Alkantara Festival 22
Guest at RTP Africa Bemvindos TV program
Buala Article publication
HIGHLIGHTS
Trained at The Conservatory for music & dance in Lisbon and worked on portuguese TV (1,2,3 by Carlos Cruz, Herman Jose's "Pensao Estrelinha" and Joaquim Letria) and Theatre Revue (A Grande Festa by Morgado productions) prior to arriving in the UK. She then trained at Urdang Acadmy and later settled at The London Studio Centre with a full scholarship.
Iris worked on an apprenticeship program with the late William Louther from London Contemporary Dance Theatre on classics such as "The road to Phoebe Snow" by Talley Beaty amongst others. Upon his passing, Iris auditioned and went on to perform with "Badejo Arts" with Peter Badejo and "Kokuma Dance Company" with Patrick Acogny.
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In 2006 Iris created, directed and produced “El Barrio - The musical” - performed at Jackson’s Lane Theatre to a packed audience. Since then, she’s been a steady advocate of Afro - Latin dance styles in the global festival circuit. In 2008 Iris created her own dance academy - Studio Afro Latino- and In 2010 Iris founded BATUKE International Music & Dance Festival which was held fo 10 years and received funding from the Arts Council of England for the last 6 years.
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In 2021 Iris graduated from her MA in Dance pedagogy in Afro-Latin dances and is currently creating collaborative projects with different artists and institutions developing the representation, education and promotion of dances of the african diaspora.
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TEACHING IN EDUCATION
AkomaAsa Performing Arts Academy (6-16 yrs old)
WAC - Weekend Arts College (14-19 yrs old)
IRIE (14-19 Yrs old)
London Studio Centre (16 yrs old + )
Hackney College (14-19 Yrs old)
National Youth Dance Theatre (12 - 16 Yrs old)
Morley College (Adult learning)
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and multiple primary and secondary schools across the UK.
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FESTIVAL FOUNDER / ORGANIZER
In the last 10 years organized and programmed BATUKE! - a yearly international dance festival with receipt of Arts Council support. In 2017/2018 Iris was recipient of One Dance UK Trailblazer fellowship award and Lisa Ulmman’s travelling scholarship which allowed her to travel to Angola and create a documentary on local artistic development and opportunities. In 2018 she presented her solo work in progress “Uprooted” as part of her fellowship and research. Iris is currently studying for her MA in Dance pedagogy and creating collaborative projects with different artists.
"Without your cultural identity you become whatever they tell you to be"
Other credits include:
BATUKE DANCE COMPANY
2010-2019
Iris choreographed and directed for her Batuke Project Dance company yearly to perform at the festival. The company consisted of professional, amateurs and senior performers and focused on bringing popular african diasporic dance style onto stage.
Some works include:
Diaspora Songs
Musseke
Luanda Social Club
Choreographed/Directed
Co-choreographer for "Strictly Dance Fever -BBC with Graham Norton"
Created / Directed "El Barrio-the real salsa musical" at Jackson's Lane theatre 2006 - www.elbarriothemusical.com
Arts & Business awards (05/06)
MJ 2 Salsa tribute Solo- toured the International festival circuit for 4 years
"Muxima" solo, opened at Paris Salsa Congress.
"Quitandeira" is a solo piece interpreted with live percussion,. Quitandeira showed the invisibility of the street vendors in African countries. Performed at DAD - One Dance UK -"Open Stage" - Pavillion dance Southwest / Bournemouth. Feb 2015
Tiggs Da Author music video - "Georgia"(2015). Provided and choreographed Kuduro dancers
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Programmer
BATUKE! Afro-Luso festival 2010- 2019 ( AC Funded in 2015) - Creative Director
One Dance UK: Re:Generations 2014 Festival- Project Co-ordinator
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Film & Pop Video credits include:
"Evita" -the film - with Madonna, choreographed by Vincent Patterson
Piccadilly Jim -film- choreographed by Litza Bixler
Kylie Minogue "Chocolate" video - choreographed by Michael Rooney
Rachel Stevens, "Some girls" video. Freestyle dancer
Robin Williams - "An audience with.."
Henrique Iglesias - "TOP" - "CD-UK""GMTV" - "The Des O'Connor show" - Salsa Dancer
Kiss FM awards & Video with Roll Deep "Shake a leg" - Freestyle dancer
Cher "I Believe" video - Freestyle dancer
"The Mobo Awards" - with Jay Z
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Presenter
Iris is a confident presenter, having been a guest presenter at several festivals, regularly presenting her monthly event in London - the largest Salsa & Kizomba night in the UK-
Iris is asked to mediate and regularly interview Afro-Latin artists for different projects.
Iris has a collection of instructional DVDS sfor sale he has scripted and presented
Dance School
In 2005 Iris created Studio Afro Latino dance school which focuses on Afro-Luso culture. She has brough new awareness to the UK over the dances from Angola, and Cape Verde. She has trained and manages a team of 9 instructors who teach regularly in London and abroad. She also has a school franchise in Lille - France.
AWARDS
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One Dance UK Trailblazer fellowship award 2017 /2018
Lisa Ullman Travelling scholarship 2017
LUKAS Awards - Kizomba Teacher of the year 2013
Lifetime achievement award for Kizomba in the UK
Lifetime achievement award for UK contribution to Salsa - Salsa UK
UK and Open World Salsa Champion (99/03)