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DanceAfrica Festival 2025

This Memorial Day weekend, DanceAfrica, the nation’s largest festival dedicated to African diasporic dance and music, opens up Brooklyn’s stages and streets to the rich culture and artistry of Mozambique. Now in its 48th year, this beloved celebration lifts up history and arts from East Africa for the unofficial start of summer.

Hand in hand with our cultural partners—the visionary DanceAfrica Council of Elders, the cultural custodians at Weeksville Heritage Center, our forward-thinking friends at MoCADA, and Bed-Stuy stalwart The Billie Holiday Theatre—we’ve assembled an experience guaranteed to open minds and lift spirits.

Enjoy traditional dance and music from Mozambique, view exhilarating visual art, sample FilmAfrica’s illuminating cinematic offerings, participate in classes and late-night dance parties, and mingle with neighbors from around the block and around the globe in the iconic outdoor bazaar. It’s all waiting for you at Brooklyn’s most unmissable summer celebration!

Greetings from DanceAfrica Artistic Director Abdel R. Salaam
BUY PERFORMANCE TICKETS

Leadership support for
BAM’s strategic initiatives provided by:

Mellon Foundation

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

JL Greene

Leadership support for
BAM programming provided by:

Howard Gilman

Leadership support for
BAM’s strategic initiatives provided by:

Ford Foundation

Leadership support for
BAM’s strategic initiatives provided by:

Altman Foundation

Leadership support for
dance at BAM provided by
The SHS Foundation

Leadership support for
dance at BAM provided by:

Harkness

Current Season

  • Dance

    DanceAfrica Performance

    May 23—May 26, 2025

    Dance

    DanceAfrica Performance

    May 23—May 26, 2025

    Enchanting Brooklyn for the 48th year, DanceAfrica 2025 culminates in an extraordinary dance and music performance celebrating the culture of Mozambique.
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    Buy Tickets
    Dance

    DanceAfrica Performance

    May 23—May 26, 2025
    DanceAfrica 2025 enchants Brooklyn with a dance and music performance celebrating the culture of Mozambique.
  • Community

    DanceAfrica Bazaar 2025

    May 24—May 26, 2025

    DanceAfrica Bazaar 2025

    May 24—May 26, 2025
    DanceAfrica’s beloved bazaar returns, transforming the streets around BAM into a global marketplace with more than 150 vendors offering African, Caribbean, and African-American food, crafts, and fashion.
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    Community

    DanceAfrica Bazaar 2025

    May 24—May 26, 2025
    DanceAfrica’s beloved bazaar transforms the streets around BAM into a global marketplace.
  • Community

    Tribute to the Ancestors

    Sat, May 17, 10—11am

    Tribute to the Ancestors

    Sat, May 17, 10—11am
    This traditional tribute to those who have passed features music and drumming, dance performances, and a libation ceremony conducted by the DanceAfrica Council of Elders.
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    RSVP
    Community

    Tribute to the Ancestors

    Sat, May 17, 10—11am
    This traditional tribute to those who have passed features music, drumming, and dance.
  • Community

    Community Day

    Sat, May 17, 1—5pm

    Community Day

    Sat, May 17, 1—5pm
    DanceAfrica 2025 gets started with our annual Restoration DanceAfrica Community Day Kickoff, featuring special guest artists, Billie Holiday Theatre Youth Arts Academy students, and more!
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    RSVP
    Community

    Community Day

    Sat, May 17, 1—5pm
    DanceAfrica 2025 gets started with our annual Restoration DanceAfrica Community Day Kickoff!
  • Community

    Memorial Room

    May 22—May 26, 2025

    Memorial Room

    May 22—May 26, 2025
    The Memorial Room is dedicated to preserving the tradition of paying homage to the ancestors of DanceAfrica festivals past and present, as well as the ancestors of the visiting companies.
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    Community

    Memorial Room

    May 22—May 26, 2025
    The Memorial Room pays homage to the ancestors of DanceAfrica festivals past and present.
  • FILM SERIES

    FilmAfrica 2025

    May 23—May 29, 2025

    FilmAfrica 2025

    May 23—May 29, 2025
    FilmAfrica presents over 30 contemporary and classic films, honoring veteran creators who first trained an activist lens on Africa and young filmmakers using cinematic storytelling to emphasize potential.
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    FILM SERIES

    FilmAfrica 2025

    May 23—May 29, 2025
    FilmAfrica screens over 30 contemporary and classic films celebrating history and potential.
  • Community

    Late Night Dance Party with DJ YB

    Sat, May 24, 2025

    Late Night Dance Party with DJ YB

    Sat, May 24, 2025
    Keep the DanceAfrica celebration going after hours with DJ YB, called the “General of Afrobeats,” who brings a mix of Afrobeats, funk, soul, rock, jazz, and hip-hop stylings to the dance floor of BAMcafé.
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    Community

    Late Night Dance Party with DJ YB

    Sat, May 24, 2025
    DJ YB, the “General of Afrobeats,” keeps the DanceAfrica spirit going strong into the wee hours.
  • Classes

    DanceAfrica Classes 2025

    May 24—May 26, 2025

    DanceAfrica Classes 2025

    May 24—May 26, 2025
    Experience the profundity and excitement of African culture, art, and history in classes designed to teach the fundamentals of African Diasporic movement and music.
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    Classes

    DanceAfrica Classes 2025

    May 24—May 26, 2025
    Learn fundamentals of African Diasporic movement and music in DanceAfrica classes.
  • Community

    Council of Elders Roundtable: Legacy & Preservation

    Sun, May 25 at 12pm

    Council of Elders Roundtable: Legacy & Preservation

    Sun, May 25 at 12pm
    Members of DanceAfrica’s Council of Elders discuss preserving the festival’s legacy, and creating connections among the ancestors, the art and culture of Africa and its diaspora.
    More
    RSVP
    Community

    Council of Elders Roundtable: Legacy & Preservation

    Sun, May 25 at 12pm
    Members of DanceAfrica’s Council of Elders discuss preserving the festival’s legacy.
  • Community

    DanceAfrica and the BAM Hamm Archives

    ONGOING

    DanceAfrica and the BAM Hamm Archives

    ONGOING
    Discover the BAM Hamm Archives’ ongoing mission to preserve the vast legacy of DanceAfrica through projects focused on oral history and recordings.
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    See The Collection
    Community

    DanceAfrica and the BAM Hamm Archives

    ONGOING
    Discover the BAM Hamm Archives’ ongoing mission to preserve the vast legacy of DanceAfrica.
  • Visual Art

    DanceAfrica Visual Art

    May 7—Jun 30, 2025

    DanceAfrica Visual Art

    May 7—Jun 30, 2025
    Our programming partners at The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) showcase a recent painting by Mozambique-born artist Cassi Namoda, depicting African women caring for each other.
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    Visual Art

    DanceAfrica Visual Art

    May 7—Jun 30, 2025
    See a recent painting by internationally renowned Mozambique-born painter Cassi Namoda.

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