Batoto Yetu

African dance combined with the rhythm of the drums have an extraordinary, engaging force. This high-energy performance is brought to life by the children of Batoto Yetu (Swahili for “our children”), a Harlem-based cultural arts and youth development program. Founder and Artistic Director Julio Leitao, a refugee from Angola and later from Zambia, leads this suite of joyful dances and songs, enhanced by full-body makeup, African masks, puppets and colorful costumes.