African Dance

Patricia A. Keeler first fell in love with African dance after watching a Batoto Yetu performance at the Victory Theater in New York City. Pursuing the idea for a book, Keeler met Júlio Leitão and spent many weekends observing the young dancers in his troupe. With this book, Keeler hopes to introduce the richness of African dance to young readers everywhere. She lives with her husband in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Júlio Leitão was born in Luena, Angola. He came to the United States in 1985 and has taught dance for more than fifteen years. Leitão founded Batoto Yetu, an African dance troupe for children in 1990. He views sharing the dances of his homeland with a new generation as a way to "make sure our firsthand account of history is passed on." Leitão lives with his wife and daughter in New York City.