DanceAfrica Festival 2025
This Memorial Day weekend, DanceAfrica, the nation’s largest festival dedicated to African diasporic dance and music, opens up Brooklyn’s stages and streets to the rich culture and artistry of Mozambique. Now in its 48th year, this beloved celebration lifts up history and arts from East Africa for the unofficial start of summer.
Hand in hand with our cultural partners—the visionary DanceAfrica Council of Elders, the cultural custodians at Weeksville Heritage Center, our forward-thinking friends at MoCADA, and Bed-Stuy stalwart The Billie Holiday Theatre—we’ve assembled an experience guaranteed to open minds and lift spirits.
Enjoy traditional dance and music from Mozambique, view exhilarating visual art, sample FilmAfrica’s illuminating cinematic offerings, participate in classes and late-night dance parties, and mingle with neighbors from around the block and around the globe in the iconic outdoor bazaar. It’s all waiting for you at Brooklyn’s most unmissable summer celebration!
Greetings from DanceAfrica Artistic Director Abdel R. Salaam
Hand in hand with our cultural partners—the visionary DanceAfrica Council of Elders, the cultural custodians at Weeksville Heritage Center, our forward-thinking friends at MoCADA, and Bed-Stuy stalwart The Billie Holiday Theatre—we’ve assembled an experience guaranteed to open minds and lift spirits.
Enjoy traditional dance and music from Mozambique, view exhilarating visual art, sample FilmAfrica’s illuminating cinematic offerings, participate in classes and late-night dance parties, and mingle with neighbors from around the block and around the globe in the iconic outdoor bazaar. It’s all waiting for you at Brooklyn’s most unmissable summer celebration!
Greetings from DanceAfrica Artistic Director Abdel R. Salaam
Leadership support for
BAM’s strategic initiatives provided by:
Leadership support for
BAM Access Programs provided by
the Jerome L. Greene Foundation
Leadership support for
BAM programming provided by:
Leadership support for
BAM’s strategic initiatives provided by:
Leadership support for
BAM’s strategic initiatives provided by:
Leadership support for
dance at BAM provided by
The SHS Foundation
Leadership support for
dance at BAM provided by:
Current Season
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Dance
DanceAfrica Performance
May 23—May 26, 2025
DanceDanceAfrica Performance
May 23—May 26, 2025
Enchanting Brooklyn for the 48th year, DanceAfrica 2025 culminates in an extraordinary dance and music performance celebrating the culture of Mozambique. -
Community
DanceAfrica Bazaar 2025
May 24—May 26, 2025
DanceAfrica Bazaar 2025
May 24—May 26, 2025DanceAfrica’s beloved bazaar returns, transforming the streets around BAM into a global marketplace with more than 150 vendors offering African, Caribbean, and African-American food, crafts, and fashion. -
Community
Tribute to the Ancestors
Sat, May 17, 10—11am
Tribute to the Ancestors
Sat, May 17, 10—11am -
Community
Community Day
Sat, May 17, 1—5pm
Community Day
Sat, May 17, 1—5pm -
Community
Memorial Room
May 22—May 26, 2025
Memorial Room
May 22—May 26, 2025The Memorial Room is dedicated to preserving the tradition of paying homage to the ancestors of DanceAfrica festivals past and present, as well as the ancestors of the visiting companies. -
FILM SERIES
FilmAfrica 2025
May 23—May 29, 2025
FilmAfrica 2025
May 23—May 29, 2025FilmAfrica presents over 30 contemporary and classic films, honoring veteran creators who first trained an activist lens on Africa and young filmmakers using cinematic storytelling to emphasize potential. -
Community
Late Night Dance Party with DJ YB
Sat, May 24, 2025
Late Night Dance Party with DJ YB
Sat, May 24, 2025Keep the DanceAfrica celebration going after hours with DJ YB, called the “General of Afrobeats,” who brings a mix of Afrobeats, funk, soul, rock, jazz, and hip-hop stylings to the dance floor of BAMcafé. -
Classes
DanceAfrica Classes 2025
May 24—May 26, 2025
DanceAfrica Classes 2025
May 24—May 26, 2025Experience the profundity and excitement of African culture, art, and history in classes designed to teach the fundamentals of African Diasporic movement and music. -
Community
Council of Elders Roundtable: Legacy & Preservation
Sun, May 25 at 12pm
Council of Elders Roundtable: Legacy & Preservation
Sun, May 25 at 12pm -
Community
DanceAfrica and the BAM Hamm Archives
ONGOING
DanceAfrica and the BAM Hamm Archives
ONGOINGDiscover the BAM Hamm Archives’ ongoing mission to preserve the vast legacy of DanceAfrica through projects focused on oral history and recordings. -
Visual Art
DanceAfrica Visual Art
May 7—Jun 30, 2025
DanceAfrica Visual Art
May 7—Jun 30, 2025Our programming partners at The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) showcase a recent painting by Mozambique-born artist Cassi Namoda, depicting African women caring for each other.