Community
DanceAfrica Portal
The Plaza at 300 Ashland (between Flatbush Ave and Ashland Pl)
Connect with local residents and arts lovers in Rwanda at the DanceAfrica Portal! This year we introduce a new component to the festival that gives Brooklynites a unique opportunity to engage more deeply and intimately with this year’s country of focus. Situated on the public plaza of 300 Ashland Place, the DanceAfrica Portal gives you a chance to meet people in Kigali in real time, hear about daily life and share stories.
The DanceAfrica Portal is staffed by Shared Studios curators who facilitate the connection between Brooklyn and Kigali, Rwanda and provide live language interpretation. The DanceAfrica Portal is free and open to the public during scheduled open walk up sessions, or engage in one of the curated sessions and come away with new thoughts and ideas. Curated sessions are free, but RSVP is required.
Leadership support for BAM Community Programs provided by The Thompson Family Foundation.
Saturday, May 25
Dance Party Kickoff with DJ
11am—1pm
Open Session Hours
1—4pm
Sunday, May 26
Open Session Hours
2—4pm
Monday, May 27
Open Session Hours
2—4pm
Curated Session
Sun, May 26
10:30—11:30am
This discussion brings together artists, teachers, and administrators in Kigali and Brooklyn to look at how dance can be used to build bridges to education, foster community, and support creative expression. Facilitated by Mecca Madyun, education manager for dance programs in BAM Education.
Curated Session
Sun, May 26
12—1:30pm
Join us for lunch and conversation about gender equality and women’s empowerment. We will brainstorm ways individuals and organizations in both the US and Rwanda can create additional pathways for female leadership and support women in existing leadership roles.
Lunch will be provided. Share a table between Brooklyn and Kigali! This intimate conversation allows guests to “break bread”, share stories, and connect with people thousands of miles away.
Curated Session
Mon, May 27
10—11:30am
In this discussion, we look at how individuals, organizations, and the government in Rwanda have sought to heal in the wake of the genocide against the Tutsi. This gathering creates space for individuals working to bring themselves and their communities forward as they seek to forgive and recover.
Curated Session
Mon, May 27
12—1:30pm
In this discussion, we invite emerging and established artists, students, and educators to share their art and ideas about how creative practice can be used to spur action, bridge cultural divides, and foster global communities. Facilitated by Mikal Lee, program manager of BAM’s Brooklyn Reads Residency Program, Arts and Justice After School Program, and co-curator of Word. Sound. Power.
This year’s DanceAfrica performance offers a taste of the rich culture and movement traditions of Rwanda, featuring Rwandan dance troupe Inganzo Ngari.
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.
DanceAfrica 2019 kicks off with this annual community welcome for the artists, featuring performances by students from RestorationART.
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.
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.
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.
A member of Inganzo Ngari leads this immersive workshop in Rwandan rhythmic traditions and the fundamentals of traditional movement styles.
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.