By Walter Rutledge
The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) will present year the 35th anniversary season of DanceAfrica. The four-day festival, which begins Friday May 25, was created in 1977 by Chuck Davis.
Dance Africa is the nation’s first festival devoted to African dance and has become one of the largest celebrations of its kind. It unites dancers the world over to celebrate the cultural vitality of Africa and its diaspora.
DanceAfrica 2012 will feature the BAM/Restoration DanceAfrica Ensemble together with an expanded lineup of dance companies. There is a different roster of performs for each night. The programs are a visual testament to the rich heritage of African dance and its influence on modern/contemporary styles.
The performance schedule is as follows: Friday, May 25 at 7:30pm , Adanfo Ensemble (New York) Farafina Kan: The Sound of Africa (Washington, DC) United African Dance Troupe (Queens) BAM/Restoration DanceAfrica Ensemble (Brooklyn); Saturday, May 26 at 2pm & 7:30pm, Adanfo Ensemble (New York) Forces of Nature Dance Theatre (Manhattan) Oyu Oro Afro-Cuban Dance Company (Manhattan) BAM/Restoration DanceAfrica Ensemble (Brooklyn) and Sunday, May 27 at 3pm, Adanfo Ensemble (New York) Illstyle Peace Productions (Philadelphia) Creative Outlet (Brooklyn) BAM/Restoration DanceAfrica Ensemble (Brooklyn); and Monday, May 28 at 3pm , Adanfo Ensemble (New York) Hamalali Wayunagu Garifuna (Bronx) Asase Yaa (Brooklyn) BAM/Restoration DanceAfrica Ensemble (Brooklyn) .
Performances will take place in the Howard Gilman Opera House . Tickets start at $20 and are half price for children 16 and under. Tickets can be purchased at the box office and online at www.bam.org.
In additional to the dance performance you can bring the family to the DanceAfrica 2012 Bazaar the days and times are Saturday, May 26, 12noon to 10pm, Sunday, May 27, 12noon to 8pm and Monday, May 28, 12noon to 8pm.) The location of the Bazaar is Ashland Place (between Hanson Place and Fulton Street), GGMC and Impark parking lots. The bazaar is free and will take place rain or shine.
Over 300 vendors from around the world will converge on the streets surrounding the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The Bazaar will transform the neighborhood surrounding BAM into a global marketplace offering African, Caribbean, and African-American food, crafts, and fashion. The DanceAfrica Bazaar will also feature entertainment for families with face painting and crafts at the Children’s Village, and guest artists will be roaming through the marketplace throughout the day.
As always thank you for letting me share my world with you
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