DanceAfrica Festival and Performance in Dallas Oct. 2-3, 2021

dance troop standing together in a semi cirle
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Dallas Black Dance Theatre

Release Date

Monday, September 20, 2021

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Dallas, TX –  Dallas, Texas – Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) celebrates the rich heritage and ancestry of Africa with the 16th Annual DanceAfrica performances and a free festival. The performances feature guest artists Bandan Koro African Drum and Dance Ensemble and the DeSoto High School A Cappella Choir. PNC is the presenting sponsor for the family-friendly event scheduled for October 1-2, 2021 at the Moody Performance Hall and Klyde Warren Park. The Saturday evening performance will be live-streamed.

Rhythm is the heartbeat of DanceAfrica performances; it calms your spirit yet energizes you at the same time. You will be immersed in an oasis of positivity as the African culture flows through the music and dance of DBDT and DBDTEncore! along with the Allegro Performing EnsembleSenior Performing Ensemble, and the Junior Performing Ensemble of Dallas Black Dance Academy. Performances will be at the Moody Performance Hall, 2520 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201, Friday and Saturday evenings, October 1-2, 2021 at 7:30 pm.

Guest artist Bandan Koro African Drum and Dance Ensemble produces powerful movements to heart-searing drumming as they share African traditions and folklore, guaranteed to recharge your spirit.

Award-winning DeSoto High School A Cappella Choir will be singing melodic and inspiring songs that capture the spirit of the African tradition. The choir has performed at the world-renowned Carnegie Hall in New York City.

The FREE Saturday daytime DanceAfrica Festival & Marketplace fills Klyde Warren Park with a family vibe through food, fun, and vendors uniting the community of all ages.  Attendees can enjoy main stage performances by local community artists throughout the day. The festival and marketplace are set for Saturday, October 2, 2021, from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at Klyde Warren Park, 2012 Woodall Rodgers Freeway, Dallas, TX 75201.

DanceAfrica Performances

October 1-2, 2021, 7:30 pm

Moody Performance Hall

2520 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201

In-person & Live streaming

DanceAfrica Festival & Marketplace – FREE 

October 2, 2021, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Klyde Warren Park

2012 Woodall Rodgers Freeway, Dallas, TX 75201

NO SUBSCRIPTIONS OR GROUP DISCOUNTS FOR THE 45TH SEASON

Dallas Black Dance Theatre is limiting seating capacity to allow for social distancing in all performance venues. Block seating will allow six feet between each set of two or four seats. Tickets must be purchased in blocks of two or four to attend the performance. Because of the limited ticket availability, DBDT will not be able to give discounts on groups or subscriptions this year. 

In-person tickets are $45.00 Details at www.attpac.org or call 214-880-0202.

Live streaming tickets are $55 per household. Details at www.DBDT.com For more performance details visit www.DBDT.com.

2021-2022 | DBDT Season Media and Travel Sponsors

NBC 5, Texas Metro News, The Dallas Morning News, American Airlines, DART, and The Dallas Weekly.

2021 – 2022 | DBDT Season Media Supporters

Elite News, FYI-50+, The Dallas Examiner, The Dallas Post Tribune, Trendy Africa, and Arts+Culture.

ABOUT DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE: Dallas Black Dance Theatre is an internationally recognized professional dance company that engages the cross-cultural community through contemporary modern dance presented from the African American experience. The National Endowment for the Arts designated the 45-year-old company as an American Masterpiece Touring Artist in 2008. The company also received the Texas Medal of Arts Award for Arts Education in 2017.

As a result of COVID closures, Dallas Black Dance Theater’s 44th season was entirely virtual, with many of its stage performances reimagined on film across the Dallas landscape. During the summer of 2020, Dallas Black Dance Theatre became the first professional dance company in the world to present its entire season as paid-only virtual performances, a new business model developed after the closing of live performances during the pandemic. 

In 2021, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival commissioned Darrell Grand Moultrie to choreograph the new work LIKE WATER for Dallas Black Dance Theatre as the inaugural recipient of the Joan B. Hunter New Work Commission in a world premiere at the prestigious dance festival. 

As Dallas’ oldest and largest professional dance company, Dallas Black Dance Theatre ranks as the 10th largest minority arts organization in America and the fourth largest black dance company in the nation. 

Ann Williams founded Dallas Black Dance Theatre in 1976. Melissa M. Young took the helm as Artistic Director in 2018 after starting at the company as a dancer in 1994. Zenetta S. Drew has led the administrative side of the company since 1987 as Executive Director following a volunteer assignment for the dance company.

The mission of Dallas Black Dance Theatre is to create and produce contemporary modern dance at its highest level of artistic excellence. Dallas Black Dance Theatre fulfills this mission through performance and educational programs that bridge cultures, reach diverse communities, and encompass ever-expanding national audiences.

The virtuosic dancers of Dallas Black Dance Theatre have mesmerized 5 million arts patrons across 16 countries, including two Olympic Cultural events. Five performing companies comprise Dallas Black Dance Theatre and its training Academy. Dallas Black Dance Theatre consists of 14 full-time salaried dancers performing a mixed repertory of modern, jazz, African, and spiritual works by national and international choreographers. DBDT: Encore! features 10 artists of rising excellence from across the nation who support Dallas Black Dance Theatre's growing local and regional educational outreach. 2.7 million students, grades K-12, have experienced the dance company's performances and educational outreach programs. 

Dallas Black Dance Academy, the official school of Dallas Black Dance Theatre, celebrates 48 years of delivering dance instruction to a community of diverse backgrounds. The academy was the first in the nation to train a student who received the Presidential Scholar Award in Dance in 1980. More than 500 students participate weekly in 50 dance classes, including ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and African. Classes are held at Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s studios and are open to students ages four to adult. The academy has three performing ensembles: Allegro Performing Ensemble, Dallas Black Dance Theatre's premier academy ensemble, Senior Performing Ensemble, and Junior Performing Ensemble.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s permanent home in the historic Moorland YMCA building in the Dallas Arts District includes dance studios, training facilities, and administrative offices. Dallas Black Dance Theatre is a resident company of the AT&T Performing Arts Center, and its performance home is the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre.

For more details, visit www.DBDT.com and www.dbdt.com/academy.

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