Choreographer and dancer, Vera Mantero studied classical dancing, under Anna Mascolo’s guidance. She was part of the Ballet Gulbenkian from 1984 to 1989. After a year in New York, where she studied release techniques, theater, voice and composition, she abandoned the classical practice for good. Her work as a choreographer, which began in 1987, includes countless solos and group pieces, often intersecting with other artistic areas. She takes part in international improvisation projects, alongside personalities such as Lisa Nelson, Mark Tompkins, Meg Stuart and Steve Paxton. Since 2000, she has devoted some work to her voice as well, singing repertoires by several authors and co-creating experimental music projects. In 1999, Culturgest dedicated a retrospective to her. She represented Portugal at the São Paulo Biennial in 2004, with Comer o Coração, partnered with sculptor Rui Chafes. In 2002, she won the Almada Prize and in 2009 the Gulbenkian Art Award, for her career as a creator and a performer.