DAVID J AMADO
ABOUT
David J. Amado is a Jamaican-American ballet pedagogue, choreographer, and researcher based between Lisbon and Salvador.
A graduate of Columbia University and certified in the Vaganova method through the Classical Dance Alliance, Inc., his work explores the integration of Afro-diasporic movement systems into classical ballet training, approaching ballet as a culturally situated and evolving form.
He is the founder and director of Ballet para Todos, an initiative supported by Portugal’s Ministry of Culture/DGARTES and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, expanding access to ballet education in underserved communities through technical rigor, somatic awareness, and culturally responsive practices.
As a choreographer and performer, he collaborated on O Barco / The Boat by Grada Kilomba, presented at MAAT, Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, and Inhotim. His films Velveteen and True Colors have screened internationally and aired on RTP África. A Fulbright Semifinalist (2026–2027), he is currently developing his first feature film, TASTE.
His practice centers on reimagining ballet pedagogy while expanding representations of Black queer embodiment in dance and cinema.