DanceAfrica 2023 Golden Ghana: Adinkra, Ananse, and Abusua
Company:
BAM Brooklyn
BAM presents DanceAfrica Festival 2023
Golden Ghana: Adinkra, Ananse, and Abusua
Celebrating the nation of Ghana’s cultural diversity and revolutionary history through dance and music; featuring the National Theater of Ghana's National Dance Company on the Howard Gilman Opera House stage, May 26–29
Free, annual community events, including the Tribute to the Ancestors, Community Day, DanceAfrica Bazaar, workshops, visual art, FilmAfrica, and more
Bloomberg Philanthropies is the Season Sponsor
DanceAfrica 2023 Golden Ghana: Adinkra, Ananse, and Abusua Artistic Director Abdel R. Salaam
National Theater of Ghana's National Dance Company (National Dance Company of Ghana) BAM/RestorationART Dance Youth Ensemble
DanceAfrica Spirit Walkers
Produced by BAM
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Ave) May 26 at 7:30pm; May 27 at 2pm & 7pm; May 28 at 3pm; May 29 at 3pm
Tickets start at $25
Brooklyn, NY/April 6, 2023— This May, BAM's DanceAfrica Festival, the nation's largest African dance festival, will celebrate Ghana's artistic vitality and revolutionary history through dance, music, and community. DanceAfrica 2023 Golden Ghana: Adinkra, Ananse, and Abusua will present several related programs to illuminate a country that became a continental trailblazer, being the first sub-Saharan African country along the path to freedom.
DanceAfrica 2023 Performances
Under the artistic direction of Abdel R. Salaam, the annual dance program features traditional performances, including the "Memorial Tribute to the Ancestors and Elders" and one of Ghana's best and most internationally known dance companies, The National Theater of Ghana's National Dance Company (National Dance Company of Ghana).
After Ghana gained independence in 1957, the country's first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, recognized the power of the arts, including dance, to unify the new nation. He believed the cultural emancipation of Ghana, and ultimately Africa, was linked to their traditional arts. With support from President Nkrumah, the National Dance Company of the National Theater of Ghana was formed in 1962 as an experiment between Ghana's education and government systems to use dance to promote Ghanaian culture and national unity. The goal was to create a program to show the cultural wealth of Ghana's many different regions. Now, it is a global ambassador for the Ghanaian culture.
The company will make its BAM debut and perform traditional Ghanaian dances and music, including the royal court dance kete and fontomfrom drumming, and collaborate with the DanceAfrica Spirit Walkers and BAM/RestorationART Dance Youth Ensemble on stage. To reflect contemporary Ghana, part of the production will take the form of a vibrant club scene, including Ghanaian and Nigerian highlife music performed by the 10-piece ensemble Arkestra Africa with Afropop vocalist Amma Whatt as part of the Opera House show. Lighting design by Al Crawford, set design by Jasiri Kafele, and music and sound design by David Margolin Lawson. The nation’s largest African dance festival and BAM’s longest-running program will present live performances at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, May 26—29.
The 2023 recipients of the Samuel H. Scripps BAM Scholarship for post-secondary education will be awarded on the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House stage on May 26. Inspired by the spirit of DanceAfrica, BAM Trustee Richard Feldman launched the Samuel H. Scripps BAM Scholarship Fund in 2008 in memory of former BAM Trustee and arts patron Samuel Scripps. The scholarships exclusively benefit students who have participated in BAM's arts education programs and plan to major or minor in an arts-related field.
The May 26 show will honor the sixth Chuck Davis Emerging Choreographer Fellow. Created to honor Baba Chuck Davis, founder of DanceAfrica, this unique fellowship offers dance practitioners the chance to travel to Africa and study dance in its cultural context.
Tickets are on sale now for the DanceAfrica Festival 2023 performances at BAM.org. For a full schedule of free and ticketed events, visit BAM.org/danceafrica2023.
DanceAfrica Festival Community, Film, and More
Created in 1977 under the guidance of Founding Elder Chuck Davis, DanceAfrica has evolved into a highly anticipated and high-spirited Memorial Day weekend tradition that brings together the entire community. The month-long celebration is centered around dance performances at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. It also includes several workshops, the popular outdoor DanceAfrica Bazaar with over 150 vendors selling crafts, food, and fashion, a visual art piece commissioned for DanceAfrica by Pan-African artist Cecilia Lamptey-Botchway, a film series curated by the New York African Film Festival at BAM Rose Cinemas, and a live-music dance party at BAMcafé.
Full DanceAfrica Programming
Chuck Davis Emerging Choreographer Community Class & Artist Talk
Sat, May 13, 12pm-3pm
Attic Studio, 4th Floor (Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Ave) Free
DanceAfrica 2023 kicks off with Al Taw'am (Arabic for The Twins), the 2022–2023 Chuck Davis Emerging Choreographer Fellowship recipients, as they engage with the BAM community. In this workshop, the multimodal dance duo will guide participants through their "House Fusion" style, which dissects the movement of house while fusing in other flavors from their background, such as traditional West African dance. The workshop, which BAM's Brooklyn Interns for Art and Culture produced, will feature an artist discussion and talkback. Participation is open to all dance levels and observers.
Tribute to the Ancestors
Sat, May 20 at 10am
Weeksville Heritage Center (158 Buffalo Avenue) Free and open to the public
In partnership with Weeksville Heritage Center and under the guidance of artistic director Abdel R. Salaam and the DanceAfrica Council of Elders, this traditional tribute to those who have passed features music and drumming, dance performances, and a libation ceremony conducted by the DanceAfrica Council of Elders.
Community Day
Sat, May 20 at 1pm
Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Plaza (1368 Fulton Street) Free and open to the public
Dance Africa weekend kicks off with this annual community welcome. This year's program celebrates The Billie Holiday Theatre and RestorationART’s 26th year participating in Dance Africa. There will be performances by special guest artists, current students of the Youth Arts Academy, members of the Pre-Professional Program, and more!
Visual Art
"Spirit and Rhythms of Africa Dance" (2023)
Cecilia Lamptey-Botchway
Curated by Larry Ossei-Mensah, BAM Guest Curator-at-Large
May 24—Jun 11
Dorothy W. Levitt Lobby (Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Ave) Located along the escalator wall
Free
"Spirit and Rhythm of African Dance" by Cecilia Lamptey-Botchway was commissioned by BAM for DanceAfrica 2023. It is based on the famous dancer, teacher, and choreographer Cherie Hill who has written, "The more I perform African dance, the more I discover and enjoy euphoria. When the drums are beating and the body is dancing everything fits in sync and I feel limitless and powerful." Lamptey-Botchway's painting reaffirms that African dance is not homogenous; it is as diverse and multifaceted as the various countries that make up the continent. Rooted in the rhythm that unites the diaspora's many different movements, the artist captures the essence of BAM's annual celebration.
Lamptey-Botchway (@cecilia_lamptey_botchway) will participate in an Instagram Live event moderated by Larry Ossei-Mensah, BAM Guest Curator-at-Large, on Tuesday, May 23 at 12pm on his Instagram (@LarryOsseiMensah). This conversation will offer insights into the Accra- based artist's interdisciplinary approach, which utilizes a variety of media, from cloth stamping and batik tradition to mopping wool.
The Memorial Room
Thu, May 25, 6pm-10pm
Fri, May 26, 1pm-10pm
Sat, May 27, 12pm-10pm
Sun, May 28, 1pm-5pm
Mon, May 29, 12pm-5pm
Devitre Lounge (Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Avenue) Free and open to the public
The Memorial Room is dedicated to preserving the tradition of paying homage to the ancestors of DanceAfrica's past and present and the ancestors of the visiting companies. Curated by Mama Linda Evans, Mama Lynette, and Baba Bill of the DanceAfrica Council of Elders.
DanceAfrica 2023 Golden Ghana: Adinkra, Ananse, and Abusua
Artistic Director Abdel R. Salaam
National Theater of Ghana's National Dance Company (National Dance Company of Ghana), BAM/RestorationART Dance Youth Ensemble, and DanceAfrica Spirit Walkers
Produced by BAM
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Ave)
May 26 at 7:30pm; May 27 at 2pm & 7pm; May 28 at 3pm; May 29 at 3pm
Tickets start at $25
Under the artistic direction of Abdel R. Salaam, DanceAfrica 2023 Golden Ghana: Adinkra, Ananse, and Abusua program features one of Ghana’s best and most internationally known dance companies, The National Theater of Ghana's National Dance Company (National Dance Company of Ghana).
The company will make its BAM debut and perform traditional Ghanaian dances and music, including the royal court dance kete and fontomfrom drumming, and collaborate with the DanceAfrica Spirit Walkers and BAM/RestorationART Dance Youth Ensemble on stage.
To reflect contemporary Ghana, part of the production will take the form of a vibrant club scene, including Ghanaian and Nigerian highlife music performed by the 10-piece ensemble Arkestra Africa with Afropop vocalist Amma Whatt as part of the Opera House show. The show will also include long held traditional programs including “Memorial Tribute to the Ancestors and Elders.” Lighting design by Al Crawford, set design by Jasiri Kafele, and music and sound design by David Margolin Lawson.
DanceAfrica 2023 Bazaar
Sat, May 27, 12—10pm; Sun, May 28 & Mon; May 29, 12—8pm Ashland Pl/ Lafayette Ave.
Free
DanceAfrica's popular bazaar returns, featuring more than 150 vendors from around the world offering African, Caribbean, and African American food, crafts, and fashion. Celebrate Africa and its diaspora's rich and diverse cultural heritage—and see the streets surrounding BAM transformed into a global marketplace.
DanceAfrica Community Workshop
Co-presented by BAM and Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy Sat. May 27 at 11am
Brooklyn Bridge Park (Pier 6 Liberty Lawn)
Free with registration
All ages
Caregivers and children alike deepen their engagement with DanceAfrica in this fun-filled, outdoor workshop led by BAM teaching artist and performance art education scholar Dánice Jones on Ghanaian movement and music fundamentals. Space is limited; pre-registration is required. Visit brooklynbridgepark.org/danceafrica/ to register.
Late Night Dance Party with DJ YB
Sat, May 27 at 10pm
The Adam Space/BAMcafe (Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Avenue) Free
Keep the celebration going after hours with DJ YB, DanceAfrica's resident DJ, who brings a mix of Afrobeat, funk, soul, rock, jazz, and hip-hop stylings to the dance floor of BAMcafé. Called "The General of Afrobeats," he has played across the globe, including in Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, London, Paris, and more.
Council of Elders Roundtable: Legacy & Preservation
With members of the DanceAfrica Council of Elders
Sun, May 28 at 12:30pm
The Adam Space/BAMcafé (Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Ave) Free with registration
DanceAfrica's Council of Elders has been an instrumental part of the festival since its inception. In this roundtable discussion, members of the Council discuss the importance of their work to create connections between the ancestors, the art and culture of Africa and its diaspora, and the community that gathers at BAM each year. In conjunction with the ongoing DanceAfrica Oral History Project, this conversation serves as a gathering point and an opportunity for the DanceAfrica community to listen, learn, and engage.
DanceAfrica Family Workshop
Co-presented by BAM and Mark Morris Dance Group
Mon, May 29 at 10am
Mark Morris Dance Center (3 Lafayette Ave)
Tickets: $12 adults; $15 family of two; $20 family of three; $25 family of four All ages
The National Theater of Ghana's National Dance Company invites caregivers and children to explore the fundamentals of Ghanaian dance movement and music in this fun-filled, hands-on workshop. Space is limited; pre-registration is required.
DanceAfrica Physically Integrated Movement Workshop
Co-presented by BAM and Mark Morris Dance Group Led by Pat Hall
Mon, May 29 at 11am
Studio B Mark Morris Studio (Mark Morris Dance Center 3 Lafayette Ave) Tickets: In-Person: $12; Virtual: $10
Dancer, choreographer, and teacher Pat Hall leads this inclusive, interactive class designed for persons with or without disabilities. Choose to participate in person at the Mark Morris Dance Center or through livestream, and discover how African and diasporic dance forms celebrate community and aspects of daily life, providing a unique window into the culture, history, and traditions of its people.
For adults, all levels of experience are welcome. When you register, we invite you to share how we can make this class as accessible to you as possible and any other information that will help us best support your experience.
DanceAfrica Master Class
Co-presented by BAM and Mark Morris Dance Group Mon, May 29 at 12:30pm
Mark Morris Dance Center (3 Lafayette Ave)
Tickets: $12
An immersive workshop in music and dance led by the National Theater of Ghana's National Dance Company introduces participants to rhythmic traditions and teaches the fundamentals of traditional Ghanaian movement styles. For intermediate to advanced dancers.
FilmAfrica
BAM Rose Cinemas (30 Lafayette Ave) May 26—Jun 1
Ama: An African Voyage of Discovery (1991) Dir. Nii Kwate Owoo & Kwesi Owusu
Fri, May 26 at 7pm & Mon, May 29 at 4pm
A golden floppy disk helps a young Ghanaian girl living in England reconnect with her roots.
The Last Shelter (2021) Dir. Ousmane Samessakou
Sat, May 27 at 2:30pm
Two teen girls from Burkina Faso befriend a hopeless woman at a refuge for migrants in Mali.
Heritage Africa (1989) Dir. Kwaw Ansah
Sat, May 27 at 4:30pm & Tue, May 30 at 8:30pm
Through colonial education, a man abandons his African heritage before he can recover it.
Tug of War (2021) Dir. Amil Shivji.
Sat, May 27 at 8:30pm & Tue, May 30 at 4:30pm
In British colonial Zanzibar, passion and revolution escalate when two young people meet.
Certain Wind Dir. Eric Gyamfi
Sat, May 27 at 6:30pm
Based on the short story Certain Winds from the South by Ama Ata Aidoo, a Ghanaian author and poet.
Animated films by Cilia Sawadogo
Sun, May 28 at 2pm
These animated shorts by Canadian-Burkinabé-German director, writer, and animator shine a light on shifting identities, ancestral wisdom, and bridging the gap between social classes.
The Tree Spirits (2005) In French with English subtitles
Children seek ancestral help to save a sacred tree but must find the solution themselves.
Christopher Changes His Name (2000)
Christopher, a young boy, changes his name to Tiger, then questions his choice.
The Cora Player (1996)
A girl defies tradition by loving a boy from the griot cast and faces her father's wrath.
Ghana Shorts Program
Sun, May 28 at 4pm
Join us for a program of short films from and about Ghana.
Things Fall Apart (1971) Dir. Hans Jurgen Pohland
Sun, May 28 at 6pm & Tue, May 30 at 6pm
Obi returns to Nigeria from England and faces great change. Based on novels by Chinua Achebe.
Mami Wata (2023) Dir. C.J “Fiery” Obasi
Sun, May 28 at 8:30pm & Thu, Jun 1 at 6pm
Mama Efe, daughter, and protegée must save Iyi villagers and restore a water spirit's glory. In West African Pidgin, English, and Fon with English subtitles
Juwaa (2021) Dir. Nganji Mutiri
Mon, May 29 at 6:30pm & Wed, May 31 at 7:30pm
A mother-son bond is deepened years after trauma in this drama shot in Belgium and Congo.
Film Africa Shorts
Mon, May 29 at 8:30pm & Wed, May 31 at 5pm
Shorts from the US, South Africa, Nigeria, and the UK explore identity, madness, and more.
(2021) Dir. Olive Nwosu
In this meditation on memory and identity—and the many versions of ourselves that haunt us.
Precious Hair & Beauty (2021) Dir. John Ogunmuyiwa
An ode to the mundanity and madness of the high street, told through the window of an African hair salon.
Frieda (2022) Dir. Tisa Chigaga
An older undocumented migrant is summarily dismissed from her housekeeping position. Cast into desperate uncertainty, she roams the city in despair.
Mma Moeketsi (2018) Dir. Reabetswe Moeti
This film based on true events recounts the national tragedy in which police brutally killed 34 miners.
Botlehale / Intelligent (2022) Dir. Reabetswe Moeti
When Botlhale is institutionalized for mental illness, he makes new friends and finds love
The Pan-African Festival of Algiers (1969) Dir. William Klein
Thu, Jun 1 at 8:15pm
Filmed in Algeria in 1969, this documentary explores neocolonialism and a need for unity through the first Pan-African Cultural Fest, interviews with Black Panthers, and a festival performance by Miriam Makeba.
DanceAfrica and the BAM Hamm Archives
Ongoing
LevyArchive.Bam.org
Free
Discover the BAM Hamm Archives' ongoing work to preserve the incredible legacy of DanceAfrica.
DanceAfrica Archives in Action
The BAM Hamm Archives is helping to preserve BAM's history in the community—through a series of small workshops exclusively for members of the DanceAfrica Council of Elders to interpret, document, digitize, and share their collections. The workshops will be recorded, and digitized materials will be curated into a digital collection to share on the Shelby White & Leon Levy BAM Digital Archive, a program of the BAM Hamm Archives, and on social media.
DanceAfrica Oral History Project, in partnership with Black Dance Stories—a community committed to amplifying Black creatives' voices— the BAM Hamm Archives documents the narratives of the people who have shaped DanceAfrica over its rich history. The collection
begins with the DanceAfrica Council of Elders and will be available on the Shelby White & Leon Levy BAM Digital Archive, a program of the BAM Hamm Archives, serving as an essential resource to an international audience of scholars, artists, and fans.
For more information, visit the Shelby White & Leon Levy BAM Digital Archive, a program of the BAM Hamm Archives.
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