“The future and spirit of DanceAfrica, in person or virtual, lives within audiences and communities of the world.”—Artistic Director Baba Abdel R. Salaam
The nation’s largest festival of African dance pays homage to the ancestral energy of Haiti with the theme Vwa zanset yo: y’ap pale, n’ap danse!, in Haitian Creole, or “Ancestral voices: they speak… we dance!” A virtual program of dance premieres draws inspiration from the lwa, spirits of Haitian Vodou, and brings together a community from near and far. DanceAfrica Artistic Director Baba Abdel R. Salaam commissioned pieces by HaitiDansCo in Cap-Haitien, Rara Tou Limen Haitian Dance Company in Oakland, Àṣẹ Dance Theatre Collective in Brooklyn, and Fritzation in Brooklyn. Including a virtual Libation ceremony and Procession of the Council of Elders that crosses the country, this unprecedented DanceAfrica performance stretches from coast to coast to coast.
Join us throughout the month for a vibrant virtual festival featuring dance classes, FilmAfrica, a digital DanceAfrica Bazaar, and more. We’ll also be looking to add live elements as it becomes safe to do so. But one thing is certain: in its 44th year honoring the incredible diversity of cultures of Africa and its diaspora, DanceAfrica is still going strong.
