Your Guide to All the Fun Events at DanceAfrica 2024

Performances

The festival’s anchor performance, The Origin of Communities/A Calabash of Cultures, curated by Abdel R. Salaam, will showcase Siren’s captivating dance ensemble led by Cameroonian-born Mafor Mambo Tse. The company, based in Brooklyn, explores Cameroonian cultural practices, emphasizing the marriage of dance, music and ancient human culture.

The Opera House performance features the DanceAfrica Spirit Walkers, The Billie’s Youth Arts Academy Dance Ensemble and the Women Of The Calabash, who will be serenading with their mesmerizing sounds and showcasing Cameroon’s musical and dance traditions. The show’s artistic vision is enhanced by Al Crawford’s lighting design, music and sound design by David Margolin Lawson, costume designs by Wunmi Olaiya and set design by Jasiri AU Kafele.

The shows start at 7:30 p.m on May 24; 2 p.m and 7 p.m on May 25, and 3 p.m on May 26 at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Ave). Tickets start at $34.50 (half-price for ages 16 and under) and are available at BAM.org.

Dance classes/party

DanceAfrica Community Class, co-presented by BAM and Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, starts on Saturday, May 25, at 11 a.m in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Registration is free for all ages.

DanceAfrica Family Class takes place at the Mark Morris Dance Center, welcoming families to explore Cameroonian dance and music fundamentals. Tickets are $12 for adults and $25 for a family of four.

The Physically Integrated Movement Class and Masterclass are scheduled for Monday, May 27, at $12 each. The former, led by Pat Hall, is inclusive and interactive, while the latter, for intermediate to advanced dancers, explores Cameroonian rhythmic traditions and movement styles. Visit this link to register.

A late-night dance party with DJ YB, DanceAfrica’s resident DJ, will be held on May 25 at 10 p.m at the Adam Space. DJ YB brings a mix of Afrobeat, funk, soul, rock, jazz and hip-hop stylings to the dance floor.

Community events

The Memorial Room, curated by Mama Linda Evans and the DanceAfrica Council of Elders, runs from May 23 to 27, honoring DanceAfrica’s past and present ancestors. Free and open to all, it’s also a tribute to visiting companies’ heritage. It opens at 1 p.m everyday, except May 23, when it opens at 6 p.m. The venue is Devitre Lounge (Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Avenue).

The DanceAfrica Bazaar, which will be held from May 25 to 27 in the streets surrounding BAM, draws over 30,000 visitors, offering diverse goods and foods from around the world.

The roundtable event titled “Legacy & Preservation,” with the DanceAfrica Council of Elders, will be held on May 26 at 12:30 p.m. at the Adam Space/BAMcafé (Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Ave). Registration is free and is on a first come, first served basis. Register at this link.

Visual arts and film

Salifou Lindou’s “La course 2,” commissioned by DanceAfrica 2024, explores the perceived conflict between notions of challenge and play. It is open for viewing from May 7 to 31 at the Dorothy W. Levitt Lobby (Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Ave).

FilmAfrica, which will be held between May 24 and 31, showcases new films from Africa and the diaspora, with a focus on Cameroon. The venue is BAM Rose Cinema, and it is curated by the African Film Festival. Tickets will go for $16 for adults, and $11 for veterans and seniors. View the full list of films here.