Associação Raiz di Polon was founded in 1991 as one of the many dance groups of the Cape Verdean Islands. Through time it has grown into a structure that promotes contemporary dance from Cape Verde, educates young talent and preserves the cultural heritage of the different islands of the archipelago. Raiz di Polon has been a pioneer in the promotion of contemporary dance in Cape Verde and has toured extensively abroad. The organization aspires to continue working to foster an atmosphere conducive to uncompromised artistic creation and creativity through the dance company and to increase awareness of the importance of cultural identity and the production and sharing of artistic creations as an end in and of itself, as important to development and social cohesion as poverty reduction, formal education and health.