Mercedes Baptista

Mercedes Ignácia da Silva Krieger, known as Mercedes Batista or Mercedes Baptista (20 May, 1921 — 19 August, 2014) was a Brazilian ballet dancer and choreographer, the first black woman to join Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro's corps de ballet. Baptista was responsible for the creation of the Afro-Brazilian ballet, inspired by the candomblé terreiros, elaborating a codification and vocabulary proper for these dances.