Manuel Kanza (dance choreographer). Won ‘Bounce,’ Angola's first national TV dance competition in 2008, earning him apprenticeships in Portugal and Brazil, where he got his first formal dance training. During the war in Angola, he heard gunshots from his home in Luanda as a child and his family moved from house to house looking for safety.

Bio: http://oskuduristas.com/en/posts/22

“Oliveira”. Nicknamed for his love of olives, Evanildo Marcio Marcel de Luanda began dancing Kuduro at age 8, imitating his older cousin. Oliviera dances dubstep, hip-hop, popping, break dancing, and contemporary dance under the mentorship of Manuel Kanza. Before September 2012 when he toured Europe with Os Kuduristas, he had never left Angola or his hometown.

Bio: http://oskuduristas.com/en/posts/29

Fogo de Deus. Fogo joined a dance group at age 3, His mother remembers him dancing in her womb. He is known for his contortionist-like flexibility and lightning speed. Tony Amado, who is credited with revolutionizing Kuduro dance, recruited Fogo as a dancer to perform with his group. Fogo went on to dance with acclaimed Kuduro MCs Zoca Zoca and Bobany King. Fogo is a Kuduro MC himself, as well as a locksmith, welder, and father.

Bio: http://oskuduristas.com/en/posts/30

Celestino. Celestino Agosto Bali, learned to dance from a neighbor. When that friend died young, Celestino stopped dancing. Inspired by a dancer named Tictac, whose videos were the first shared from phone to phone by Bluetooth, Celestino returned to join dance battles with some of Angola's top dancers. His university tuition is being paid with money earned dancing.

Bio: http://oskuduristas.com/en/posts/26

“Mirene.” A high school junior, Maria de Fátima Cardoso Vinício began dancing at age 4. She grew up entering neighborhood dance contests, performing a festival of Radio Nacional. She performs regularly at Kasta Lounge, one of Luanda’s top nightclubs. In 2011, Mirene performed with Kuduro superstar Titica.

Bio: http://oskuduristas.com/en/posts/47