DanceAfrica is Brooklyn Academy of Music’s (BAM’s) longest running program to date, founded in 1977 by our great ancestor, Baba Chuck Davis. It is intimately, spiritually, and artistically connected to BAM’s raison d’etre (reason for being): to serve the BAM family and community with the best in the world of the performing arts through theatre, music, and the dance of Africa and its Diaspora.
For over four decades, DanceAfrica at BAM has breathed life and the spirit of the African Diaspora into its members and community. But in this present moment BAM, like most theaters has closed its doors. The raging pandemic has temporarily blocked its prism of cultural light. COVID attacks the respiratory system, shortening the breath and in the darkness of its manifestation forces life to move away from its living experience. DanceAfrica does just the opposite. It breathes life into its audience and community of believers.
Although we have lost a year we continue to search for ways to regenerate that life and give our family the breath that it needs. Stories, rhythms and visions that entertain, educate, provoke thought, stimulate the intellect, and build cultural intelligence is the essence of DanceAfrica. If this darkness is a sign of a new normal, then DanceAfrica will seek to create new gems of light, sound and imagery for our community to basque in a new virtual way to experience culture, still be empowered and most importantly… awaken our ancient memories.
The impact on our communities will be challenging in this new present. Visual configurations and locations will shift and productions will morph into different forms and manifestations as will our audiences from thousands locally to potentially hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world. Perhaps we as an institution will create moments in time and space to infuse something that feels like a living presence into the virtual experience.
Whatever happens, know that we will return to the living performance. Our will, passion, desire, vision, and our Ancestors will not have it any other way. So until we return, we will use this time to regenerate and discover new possibilities, new constructs…. to create a paradigm shift. After all, it is only at the precipice that we find a way to change and evolve. So, as our Ancestors always said to the darkness, “BRING IT ON!!! We have always found the light and as the Ancient Ones have taught us ….to “Come Forth As The Light of Day”.
