DanceAfrica

DanceAfrica

Late May and early June

DanceAfrica is a festival of dance that takes place annually in New York City during the Memorial Day weekend in late May; it then restages on a somewhat smaller scale during the first weekend in June in Washington, D.C. Founded by choreographer Chuck Davis and headquartered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the festival began in 1977 as a means of counteracting the negative stereotypes of African dance presented in film and other media. Davis conceived of the festival as a way to provide a "cultural bridge" showing the range and beauty of traditional African dance and its influence on contemporary American dance forms.
Each DanceAfrica festival features an international cast of dancers and musicians and showcases such forms as African folk dance, Afro-Caribbean fusion, and African-American dance theatre. In addition, the weekend includes African music and film presentations, master classes, and an outdoor marketplace featuring African-themed arts, food, clothing, and crafts.

CONTACTS:
DanceAfrica in New York
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Peter Jay Sharp Bldg.
30 Lafayette Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718-636-4100
www.bam.org
DanceAfrica in Washington, D.C.
Dance Place
3225 8th St. N.E.
Washington, DC 20017
202-269-1600; fax: 202-269-4103
www.danceplace.org

SOURCES:
AAH-2007, p. 115
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