Dance instructor & Speaker, Iris De Brito! (Angola/UK)

IRIS DE BRITO

Iris is originally from Angola, a country in the south west of Africa. She trained in dance at "The London Studio Centre" and with the late William Louther (one of the original members of the Alvin Ailey company). Iris has also worked with "Badejo Arts" and "Kokuma Dance Company" amongst others. Iris is trained in Jazz/Contemporary/Street Dance & Salsa Dance. She trained in the style of Horton and Graham, Mat Mattox and Afro-Cuban Dance, traveling to Cuba several times to study with Conjunto Folclorico and ballet Cutumba. Also a seasoned kizomba dancer and instructor credited as one of the first to champion the style and grow the community in the UK, Iris's contributions to kizomba is invaluable and her knowledge and experience vast.

"I love to create something out of nothing. Working with performance and performers and seeing each individual reach their potential at that particular time gives me tremenduous satisfaction.

I believe you can't put me in a box. I've enjoyed learning and performing to different styles in Dance in my career so far and have used all these influences in my movement expression. Perhaps my mixed heritage has reflected greatly in my Dance interpretation. I also relish in exploring different mediums and trying new things; this keeps me alive and wanting to learn more.

"I'd like to share my knowledge through my work and hopefully add a valuable contribution to Dance in the UK whilst inspiring others."

Film and other credits include:

Co-choreographer for Strictly Dance Fever BBC with Graham Norton
Evita - the film featuring 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
Robin Williams - "An audience with..."
Henrique Iglesias - "TOP" - "CD-UK" "GMTV" - "The Des O'Connor Show"
The Mobo Awards - with Jay Z
Cher - "I Believe" video
Kiss FM awards & video with Roll Deep "Shake a Leg"

Choreographed/Directed:

Created / Directed "El Barrio - The Real Salsa Musical" at Jackson's Lane Theatre, London, 2006 - www.elbarriothemusical.com
Arts & Business awards (2005/06)
Michael Jackson 2 Salsa tribute Solo - toured the fesival circuit for 4 years
"Muxima" solo, opened at Paris Salsa Congress
Batuke Performance Project 2010-2015 (Diaspora Songs, Musseke, Myths & Legends)
ADAD UK "Open Stage" - Pavilion Dance Southwest / Bournemouth. Feb 2015 "Quitandeira" is a solo piece interpreted with live percussion. It relates the journey of a woman in a African market and street vendor and how she's invisible to regular passers-by
Tiggs Da Author music video - "Georgia" (2015) Kuduro dancers

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 - as well as having presented and to camera her own three instructional DVDs to date.

Festival Organiser

BATUKE! Afro-Luso festival 2010 - 2015 (Arts Council UK Funded in 2015) - Creative Director
Re:Generations 2014 - ADAD // Project Coordinator

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

One Dance UK Trailblazer 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 (1999/2003)

Iris is also a ITEC qualified Massage Therapist