DanceAfrica is BAM's longest running program and America's largest celebration of African and African-American dance, music, and culture. Created in 1977, under the artistic direction of Founding Elder Chuck Davis and with the aim of heightening awareness of African culture, the festival has evolved into a beloved annual Memorial Day weekend event that brings the entire community together. In 2015, the leadership baton was passed to Abdel R. Salaam.
Now in its 41st year, DanceAfrica welcomes a new visiting company from Africa or its diaspora at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. This year’s performance offers a taste of the rhythm and spirit of South Africa, acknowledging Nelson Mandela’s centennial birthday and the contributions of freedom fighters past and present.
South African supergroup Ingoma KwaZulu-Natal Dance Company brings traditional movement idioms alongside the contemporary stylings of Durban-based Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre. They are joined by the BAM/Restoration Dance Youth Ensemble and, together, rejoice in the transcendent power of movement and music in a range of forms and traditions
DanceAfrica's outdoor bazaar is a global marketplace of African, African-American, and Caribbean arts, crafts, and food featuring over 200 vendors and attracting up to 30,000 visitors per year.
