Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s 19th Annual DanceAfrica Festival & Marketplace
Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s (DBDT) annual DanceAfrica festival is back for its 19th year October 11-12 at Moody Performance Hall. Themed “Voices of the Drum: Echoes of Unity”, this year’s celebration aims to encapsulate the powerful connection between music, dance and community. Drumming and rhythm are universal languages that bring people together, and DanceAfrica promises to bring people together through live music, singing and dance to celebrate cultural heritage and community spirit.
This celebration will feature a full week of events across the Arts District, with performances from all five of DBDT’s dance companies – Dallas Black Dance Theatre, DBDT: Encore! and Dallas Black Dance Academy’s Junior Performing Ensemble, Senior Performing Ensemble and Allegro – plus special guests performers, Ayodele Drum & Dance and Voices of Empowerment choir, directed by the Grammy Award-winning Pamela Dawson.
Performances begin with a free West African Community Dance Class on Wednesday, October 9 led by special guest company Ayodele Drum & Dance from Chicago, IL. The class will be available in-person and virtually.
The main event takes place October 11-12 at Moody Performance Hall, when all our performers take the stage for a multigenerational celebration that highlights African heritage and the shared foundation of rhythm and drums that unites us all. Following the performance, patrons can look forward to our annual Bantabawhere our dancers, audience and drummers join for a communal dance experience.
In addition to the evening performances, on Saturday, October 12, 2024 from 10AM – 2PM a free family-friendly outdoor festival and marketplace will take place in Klyde Warren Park. The festival will feature a variety of vendors, food trucks and performances throughout the day from an array of performance group. For our youngest guests, the festival will also feature a children’s activity center.
The tradition of DanceAfrica was created in 1977 by famed dancer and choreographer, Baba Chuck Davis, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). Founded with the goal of bringing awareness to African culture, the festival is now America’s largest celebration of African dance and culture with multiple organizations hosting regional DanceAfrica events across the nation.
Ayodele Drum & Dance is a Chicago-based West African drum and dance company led by Executive Artistic Director T. Ayo Alston. Ayodele, a Yoruba word meaning “Joy in the home”, is a diverse sister-circle of performing artists committed to studying and performing drum and dance as a wellness modality. The company uses both mediums to educate and motivate young women and children through performances and community engagement. This event will mark their first live performance in Dallas!
Pamela Dawson, the Director of Choirs for DeSoto High School, became the first African-American female Grammy Music Educator of the Year in 2023. Since then, she has gone on to form her own independent choir, Voices of Empowerment.
In-person tickets are $48 and virtual tickets are $25. Discounts for groups of six or more available. Virtual season subscriptions are available for $169. Stream eight performances from DBDT’s 2024-2025 season from wherever you are!
Details at dbdt.com or call (214) 468-8602.
Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s DanceAfrica, Image credit DBDT