DanceAfrica Performance 2023

“DanceAfrica is a family reunion, a chance to see how the branches of the family tree have extended.”

—The New York Times

May 26—May 29, 2023

Dance | Music

Golden Ghana: ADINKRA, ANANSE, AND ABUSUA

Artistic Director Abdel R. Salaam

Part of DanceAfrica Festival 2023

“This festival heals, pumps up, and moves one to tears.”—Dance Enthusiast

This Memorial Day weekend, the vibrant artistry and revolutionary history of Ghana inspires an immersive, electrifying celebration of dance. Now in its 46th year, DanceAfrica presents a choreographic and musical journey through the past and present of Ghanaian culture, connecting ancestral traditions to contemporary achievements on the BAM stage. Featuring performances by the National Theater of Ghana's National Dance Company, the DanceAfrica Spirit Walkers, Arkestra Africa with Musical Director K. Osei Williams featuring Afropop vocalist Amma Whatt and BAM Restoration Dance Youth Ensemble, this year’s tribute to Ghanaian excellence promises to entertain, educate, and empower.

VENUE

Peter Jay Sharp Building

BAM Howard Gilman Opera House

TICKET INFO

TICKETS START AT $25

All performances will adhere to protocols developed in accordance with New York State regulations and in consultation with medical professionals for the safety of our artists, audiences, and staff.

RELATED EVENTS

May 2023

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Friday May 26, 2023

Performances no longer available.

Leadership support for BAM Access Programs provided by the Jerome L. Greene Foundation

JL Greene

Leadership support for programming in the Howard Gilman Opera House provided by:

Leadership support for dance at BAM provided by The SHS Foundation

Leadership support for dance at BAM provided by:

Harkness

National Theater of Ghana’s National Dance Company

The National Dance Company of Ghana was established at the University of Ghana in 1962 by Albert Mawere Opoku, who also served as the inaugural artistic director. Opoku’s arrangements of traditional dances remain the core repertoire of the ensemble. Francis Nii Yartey succeeded Opoku for 30 years, creating extended works that explored the polyvalence of African performance. Currently under the leadership of Stephany Ursula Yamoah, the Ensemble presents indigenous and contemporary dance forms as well as dance-theater productions.

Abdel R. Salaam

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 55-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.

BAM Restoration Dance Youth Ensemble

This DanceAfrica favorite returns to the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House for the 26th year. The ensemble serves as a symbol of youth involvement in the preservation of African heritage, celebrating both ancestral roots and the modern-day community.

DanceAfrica Spirit Walkers

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

Arkestra Africa

To reflect contemporary Ghana, part of the production will take the form of a vibrant club scene, including Ghanaian and Nigerian highlife music performed by Arkestra Africa, a 10-piece ensemble led by musical director K. Osei Williams and featuring Afropop vocalist Amma Whatt.

Explore The Season

May 27—29, 2023

Community

May 27—29, 2023

DanceAfrica Bazaar 2023

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

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