DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF DANCEAFRICA IN DALLAS
October 3 & 4, 2025; Featuring special guests, SOLE Defined from Washington, D.C. and the premiere of a commissioned work by T. Ayo Alston (Ayodele Drum & Dance)
Dallas, Texas – Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s (DBDT) 49th season opens with the annual return of DanceAfrica. Themed Legacy of the Drum: 20 Years of Rhythm and Roots, the company celebrates two decades of the national festival’s Dallas weekend. The spectacular 20th anniversary, made possible by Festival Presenter Texas Commission on the Arts, takes place October 3 & 4 at Moody Performance Hall and features free community events throughout the week, including an African Dance Class led by Washington, D.C.-based SOLE Defined (October 1, DBDT Studios) and a Festival & Marketplace (October 4, Klyde Warren Park).
The week-long celebration honors the rich tapestry of Africa in the heart of Dallas, with the 20th anniversary highlighting West African traditions. Each night will feature all five of DBDT’s dance companies – Dallas Black Dance Theatre, DBDT: Encore! and Dallas Black Dance Academy’s Junior Performing Ensemble, Senior Performing Ensemble and Allegro – performances from special guests, SOLE Defined (Washington, DC), Lancaster High School student dancers directed by former DBDT dancer Carla Wattley, Voices of Empowerment Choir, directed by the Grammy Award-winning Pamela Dawson, and the world premiere of a commission by T. Ayo Alston from Ayodele Drum & Dance (Chicago, IL).
The party starts with a free Community Dance Class on Wednesday, October 1st. The event is open to the public and led by special guest company, SOLE Defined, at DBDT Studios in the heart of the Arts District.
The DanceAfrica Festival & Marketplace is Saturday, October 3rd from 10 AM–2 PM at Klyde Warren Park. This event is free and family-friendly, featuring crafts and products from local vendors, food trucks and performances throughout the day from over 25 dance troupes from across the DFW Metroplex. For our younger guests, the festival will also feature a children’s activity center.
Evening performances take place October 3rd & 4th at Moody Performance Hall, showcasing the vibrant traditions of West African dance accompanied by the pulse of live drumming and music. The performances conclude with DBDT’s beloved communal Bantaba, a vibrant dance experience that brings together cultures and generations where the dancers, audience and drummers come together and share in universal rhythm.
The tradition of DanceAfrica was created in 1977 by famed dancer and choreographer, Baba Chuck Davis, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). Founded with the goal of bringing awareness to African culture, the festival is now America’s largest celebration of African dance and culture with multiple organizations hosting regional DanceAfrica events across the nation.
SOLE Defined is a D.C.-based company that combines body percussion, tap dance, and sand dance to create immersive performances with original musical orchestrations, sound, and digital media technologies. The company has performed at prestigious venues such as The Kennedy Center, Jacob’s Pillow, and The Lincoln Center.
Voices of Empowerment is led by 2023 Grammy Music Educator of the Year, Pamela Dawson. She is currently Adjunct Music Faculty at Dallas College and the University of Texas at Arlington, shaping the next generation of musicians.
T. Ayo Alston is the founder, executive director, composer, and choreographer of the Chicago-based Ayodele Drum & Dance. She teaches and practices a signature theatrical style of West African drum and dance culture that captures the strength and power of women and community.
Tickets on sale now! In-person tickets are $49 and streaming tickets are $25. Visit DBDT.com for more information.
ABOUT DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE
Founded in 1976 by Ann Williams, Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s mission is to create and produce contemporary modern dance at the highest level of artistic excellence through performances and educational programs that bridge cultures and reach diverse communities. As the largest and oldest professional dance company in Dallas, DBDT is the fourth-largest Black dance company in the nation, ranks in the top 10 largest contemporary modern dance companies in the U.S. and is included among the nation’s 50 largest ballet companies by Dance Data Project. Located in the thriving downtown Dallas Arts District, the nation’s #1 Arts District (USA Today), DBDT has performed worldwide for over 5 million arts patrons and 3 million students in 33 states and 16 countries on five continents. The performances include three Olympics (1992, 1996, and 2012), the nation’s most prestigious venues (Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Broadway, Jacob’s Pillow and Joyce Theatre), and for such luminaries as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and South African President Nelson Mandela. Since 2020, DBDT performances have been viewed virtually in 43 countries and expanded to include virtual student matinees and cultural literacy programs. Since 2021, the virtual education performances have been viewed by nearly 200,000 K-12 students across 28 districts throughout the nation. The Company has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts as an American Masterpiece Touring Artist (2008) and received the Texas Medal of the Arts Award for Arts Education (2017).
For more details about Dallas Black Dance Theatre, visit DBDT.com.