(Learn more about Black Dance America.) BCM was Dr. Osumare’s Black dance initiative, debuting in 1989. In her memoir, she also wrote about her vision for this initiative: “I wanted BCM to focus on dance- makers and their individual artistic statements rather than on the conun- drum of “black dance” itself. One decade away from the new millennium, I felt it was time to make a national statement about the state of contempo- rary black choreographers…” After those powerful last perfor- mances of BCM, many of us partici- pating choreographers felt compelled to keep Dr. Osumare’s vision mov- ing forward. So, in 1995, a group of us, including Blanche Brown, Joanna Haigood, Robert Moses, Kevin Ware, Aisha Jenkins, and me, as well as Bay Area arts administrators Jennifer Ross and Angela Johnson, held a series of round tables discussing next steps— there was a continuum at work, a Black dance legacy, defining a need for us to shape our own future. We formed the African & African American Performing Arts Coalition (AAAPAC). In 1996, I incorporated AAAPAC as a fiscally sponsored non- profit and began presenting several concerts that year and through 2003. In 2002, I was artistic director and collaborator on a cornerstone project awarded the Creative Work Fund and produced by ODC Theater in response to Faith Ringgold’s story quilt We Came to America . The work featured four choreographers: Moses, Ellis, Jen- kins, and Robert Henry Johnson (1968 – 2022); a host of dynamic perform- ers including Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Silfredo La O Vigo, and Nora Chi- paumire; and an 11-piece music ensem- ble conducted by musician/composer Wayne Wallace. The Smithsonian part- nered with us, and we were able to dis- play Ringgold’s iconic quilt in the lobby of ODC Theater. We rode the momen- tum of that successful project, and in
2003, I began to plan, with Kendra Kimbrough Barnes, the Black Choreog- raphers Festival: Here & Now (BCF). Kendra and I asked ourselves: what could be done to support the needs and visibility of Black choreographers? In the early 2000s, what remained true about this Black dance legacy was that our choreographic voices were still not prevalent in the dance venues and pro- grams around the Bay Area. We knew we needed to provide African Amer- ican artists with safe and nurturing creative spaces to shape their choreo- graphic narratives and expressions, the freedom to succeed or even fail at creative attempts at new works, and a space to try and try again. We wanted to formalize a project model that was sustainable, responsive, and accessi- ble for artists and audiences to come together and celebrate African Ameri- can art and culture. We saw Dr. Osumare’s BCM as a model for a Black dance festival that we could use as a framework for our vision. With her blessing and the sup- port of Rob Baillis, director of ODC Theater at that time, Kendra and I would ambitiously do what had not been done before: create a con-
Here we are, 2025. When asked to reflect on what this 20th anniversary means to her, Kendra shared, “This anniversary is not just a celebration of the past; it is a call to action for the future. There is still much to be explored, celebrated, and shared. The next 20 years will be about continuing to uplift the next generation, expanding our reach, and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the intersection of art, culture, and activism.” Kendra and I have witnessed so many of the choreographers who performed in BCM and BCF go on to have a national and international presence and make significant contributions to the dance world at large. We will ride the continuum of this Black dance legacy through the 21st century, seeing what can be transformed, broadened, and handed up in the years to come. laura elaine ellis , co-founder and director of the African & African American Performing Arts Coalition, co-presents the Black Choreographers Festival: Here & Now (BCF) with Kendra Kimbrough Barnes, founder and director of K*Star*Produc- tions. BCF is an all-community event made possible by the generous support and involvement of many folks committed to its success and service. Black Choreographers Festival: Here & Now – 20th Anniversary Season Feb 7–June 21, bcfhereandnow.com
sortium model of presenting and host a Black dance festi- val on both sides of the bridge, Eastbay and SF. In 2005, Black Choreogra- phers Festival: Here & Now (BCF) had its debut, curated with an intentional blend of the past and present, including iconic works of choreographers that were part of the BCM pro- gramming: Donald McKayle (1930–2018), Haigood, and RH Johnson, as well as emerg- ing choreographers Latanya d. Tigner, Malia Conner, and Rashad Pridgen (1978–2024). Multi-faceted artist Bamuthi also MC’d and performed. (Read Dance Magazine's review of BCF’s opening night performance at SF’s Theater Artaud.)
We Came to America , the first quilt from from Faith Ringgold’s The American Collection
“I WANTED BCM TO FOCUS ON DANCEMAKERS AND THEIR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTIC STATEMENTS RATHER THAN ON THE CONUNDRUM OF “BLACK DANCE” ITSELF. ONE DECADE AWAY FROM THE NEW MILLENNIUM, I FELT IT WAS TIME TO MAKE A NATIONAL STATEMENT ABOUT THE STATE OF CONTEMPORARY BLACK CHOREOGRAPHERS….” — DR. HALIFU OSUMARE
in dance WINTER 2025 52
WINTER 2025 in dance 53
In Dance | May 2014 | dancersgroup.org
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