Vera Mantero studied classical dance with Anna Mascolo and was part of Ballet Gulbenkian between 1984 and 1989. She became one of the central figures of the Nova Dança Portuguesa and began her career as a choreographer in 1987. Her work has been seen throughout Europe and in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, South Korea, the USA and Singapore. Since 2000 she has also dedicated herself to voice work, singing the repertoire of various songwriters and creating, with others, experimental music projects. In 1999 Culturgest organised a retrospective of her work to date, entitled "Mês de Março, Mês de Vera"("Month of March, Month of Vera"). She represented Portugal at the 26th São Paulo Biennial, in 2004, with "Comer o Coração" ("Eating your heart out"), created in partnership with Rui Chafes. In 2002 she was awarded the Portuguese Ministry of Culture's Almada Prize, and in 2009 the Gulbenkian Art Prize for her career as creator and performer.