30 Years of DanceAfrica: Remember! Honor! Respect! An African Dance Odyssey

In 1978, Chuck Davis Dance Company and African American Dance Ensemble Founder and
Artistic Director Chuck Davis brought to BAM the first DanceAfrica festival–a celebration of
heritage and community centered on the diverse dance forms of the African Diaspora. Now in its
30th year, DanceAfrica is BAM’s longest running performance series–and has become a
Memorial Day Weekend tradition in Brooklyn.

For 30 Years of DanceAfrica: Remember! Honor! Respect! An African Dance Odyssey five
popular companies are making return visits. Last seen at DanceAfrica 2001, Ndere Troupe
features versatile performers who reveal the sophistication and beauty of East African dance
through Ugandan songs, dances, and poetry. First seen at DanceAfrica 1986 (and marking their
seventh DA appearance), New York-based Forces of Nature Dance Theatre Company, under the
direction of Abdel Salaam, showcases work that pulls elements from traditional West African
dance, ballet, hip-hop, and contemporary movement.