Dance | Music

Abdel R. Salaam is the Artistic Director of DanceAfrica; the Executive Artistic Director/Co-Founder of Forces of Nature Dance Theatre, founded in 1981; and a critically acclaimed choreographer. Born in Harlem, he has served as a dancer, teacher, and performing artist in five continents throughout his 51-year career in the dance and theater worlds. He has received numerous awards and fellowships for excellence in dance and dance-theater and continues to dedicate his life’s work to the healing and empowerment of us all.

Inganzo Ngari was formed in 2006 with the purpose of promoting the Rwandan folkloric dance tradition among the country’s youth. Since its formation, the troupe has gained widespread recognition among the Rwandan community. Inganzo Ngari, which translates as “wide talent,” began performing internationally in 2009, winning Best Dance Group at the Festival of Folkloric Dance in Spain and showcasing their talents in South Africa, Turkey, Singapore, Russia, Nigeria, Gabon, and beyond.

Malaika Uwamahoro is a Rwandan-born actor, poet, and activist, and a recent graduate of Fordham University with a degree in theater studies. She has performed her poetry around the world, most recently at the UN for the commemoration of the Rwandan genocide. In 2013, she appeared in Katori Hall’s Our Lady of Kibeho at the Signature Theatre. Other theater credits include Cartography (Kennedy Center), Measure Back (Dixon Place), and Africa’s Hope (USC Bovard Theatre).

Michael Wimberly is a composer, educator, and percussionist whose work has been commissioned by Urban Bush Women, Joffrey II Ballet, Complexions, Forces of Nature, Philadanco, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. He composed the score for HBO’s Atlantic City Lights and visual artist Betye Saar’s Digital Griot, among others. He is a professor at Bennington College in Vermont.

Kofi Osei Williams oversees the creative and business direction of the Asase Yaa African-American Dance Theatre and its affiliates. He got his start as a drummer and dancer and has worked with Pharoah Sanders, Dianne Reeves, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, M’Bemba Bangoura, Erykah Badu, and Talib Kweli. He co-founded the African concert series Djembe in the New Millennium, in addition to his ongoing studies in Ghana, drumming workshops by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and adjunct duties at Medgar Evers College.

Born in South Carolina and raised in New York City, Frank Malloy IV is a musician, composer, and DJ. Currently he is the musical director of Harambee Dance Company. He also works to carry African culture forward by creating his own modern dun dun drum set, playing West African percussion instruments during his DJ sets, and answering the call to create new traditions for the many generations to come. Building community has always been a part of his philosophy and he uses music to connect, empower, and inspire other young artists.

This DanceAfrica favorite returns to the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House for the 21st consecutive year. The BAM/Restoration DanceAfrica Ensemble serves as a symbol of youth involvement in the preservation of African heritage, celebrating both ancestral roots and the modern-day community.

The DanceAfrica Spirit Walkers were founded by Baba Abdel Salaam in 2016 to theatrically honor the ancestors of Africa and its diaspora at the annual DanceAfrica Memorial Tribute, originally developed by the late Baba Chuck Davis. The group comprises professional dance artists and musicians from the Restoration Arts Alumni, Asase Yaa, Harambee, and Forces of Nature Dance Theatre, melding contemporary, hip-hop, modern, and African vernacular forms.

BAM Visual Art presents the work of this contemporary Rwandan mixed-media artist who mixes colors and textures derived from the people and landscapes of his surroundings.

DanceAfrica's beloved bazaar returns, featuring more than 150 vendors from around the world, offering African, Caribbean, and African-American food, crafts, and fashion.

This traditional tribute to those who have passed on features music and drumming, dance performances, and a libation ceremony conducted by the DanceAfrica Council of Elders.

DanceAfrica 2019 kicks off with this annual community welcome for the artists, featuring performances by students from RestorationART.

Jade Charon, recipient of the 2018 Chuck Davis Emerging Choreographer Fellowship, leads a dance intensive workshop in the Acogny Technique and Sabar dance styles from Senegal and djembe dance from Burkina Faso.

Choreographer Jade Charon, recipient of the 2018 Chuck Davis Emerging Choreographer Fellowship, comes to BAM with a performance that showcases the fruits of her research in Senegal and Burkina Faso, which melds Acogny Technique and Sabar dance styles from Senegal and djembe dance from Burkina Faso with existing African-American techniques to explore communal healing.

The Memorial Room is dedicated to preserving the tradition of paying homage to the ancestors of DanceAfrica’s past and present, as well as the ancestors of visiting company Inganzo Ngari.

This cinematic companion to the annual DanceAfrica celebration showcases the best new narrative, documentary, and short films from across Africa and the diaspora, with a special focus on Rwanda.

Connect with local residents and arts lovers in Rwanda at the DanceAfrica Portal!

Keep the DanceAfrica celebration going after hours with DJ YB, who brings a mix of Afrobeat, funk, soul, rock, jazz, and hip-hop stylings to the dance floor of BAMcafé.

BAM and the Center for Fiction celebrate the work of multimedia literary imprint RadioBook Rwanda.

Learn the rhythmic clapping pattern of Icyizire and learn traditional movements from Rwanda in this inclusive, interactive class, open to adults with and without disabilities.

Company members of Inganzo Ngari, this year’s visiting company, lead a fun-filled workshop for all ages on the fundamentals of Rwandan movement and music.

A member of Inganzo Ngari leads this immersive workshop in Rwandan rhythmic traditions and the fundamentals of traditional movement styles.