Harlem Stage Announces E-Moves Festival 2026
Harlem Stage is proud to announce its E-Moves Festival 2026. For more than 25 years, E-Moves has convened the world’s leading choreographers, dancers, dance companies, and artists from Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color, in an exploration of movement and message. Founded on the belief that art is a fundamental right for all people, Harlem Stage exists to set untold stories free; an act of imagination, courage, and democracy. Harlem Stage’s E-Moves Festival 2026 is a dynamic, weeklong celebration of dance and movement, featuring an exciting lineup of performances, masterclasses, film screenings, artist conversations, and free student matinees.
“E-Moves 2026 embodies the radical imagination at the heart of Harlem Stage where movement becomes a conduit for legacy, identity, and possibility,” shared Indira Etwaroo, CEO & Artistic Director of Harlem Stage. “As we celebrate over a quarter of a century of E-Moves, we uplift artists like Camille A. Brown, Calvin Royal III, and Lil’ Buck who are reshaping the future of dance, while honoring the cultural lineages that ground us.”
E-Moves Festival 2026 opens with an inspiring masterclass and conversation on Monday April 20 at 6pm, featuring award-winning choreographer and director Camille A. Brown, and moderated by Dr. Indira Etwaroo, CEO & Artistic Director of Harlem Stage. Sharing their creative philosophies, cultural lineages, and lived experiences, this conversation invites the audience to deepen their understanding of the power of movement as both an art form and cultural expression.
The festival continues with a series of world premieres marking the 20th anniversary of Harlem Stage’s signature WATERWORKS Commissioning Fellowship Initiative that champions the next generation of choreographers with a landmark partnership with AILEY. Kamani Abu, Derick McKoy Jr., Naia Neal, and Kasey Orava, bold and up-and-coming choreographers will premier not-to-be-missed original works at Harlem Stage. WaterWorks: Four World Premieres takes place on April 24 at 1pm (Student Matinee) and April 25 at 2pm and 7pm.
In partnership with While We Are Still Here, the pre-show conversation Looking Back to Dance Forward will take place on April 25 at 1pm. This conversation will feature all four choreographers – Kamani Abu, Derick McKoy Jr, Naia Neal, and Kasey Orava – from the AILEY family to discuss their creative process. Moderated by Ronald K. Alexander.
Paris is Burning, a Sundance prize-winning documentary, is an intimate portrait of 1980s Harlem drag balls: a world of fierce competition, sustenance, and survival. A 35th Anniversary screening takes place on April 26 at 2pm. Following the film screening, Tabytha Gonzalez, Sailey Williams, and Arturo Lyons will join a conversation hosted by the Surface Level podcast, exploring the film’s lasting impact on ballroom culture, artistic expression, identity, and community.
The festival concludes on April 27 at 7pm with the return of the acclaimed Black Men in Dance series. Curated by distinguished dance educator and artist Ronald K. Alexander and American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Calvin Royal III, this year’s program features esteemed dance artists Robert Battle, Donald Byrd, and Lil’ Buck. Performances include work by Lil’ Buck, the groundbreaking artist known for fusing hip hop and classical dance forms, and Babatunji Johnson, a choreographer and creative innovator who has collaborated with Alonzo King for more than a decade.
The 2026 E-Moves Festival runs April 20-27 at Harlem Stage. Tickets are on sale now from $15-$35. GET TICKETS
Kamani Abu Photo by Hollis King