BSRC hosted its annual DanceAfrica Pre-Opening on Saturday, May 22nd. This was an electrifying prelude to Restoration's 14th season of performance in DanceAfrica. A Brooklyn community welcome was given to the Pamodzi Dance Troupe of Zambia. More than 700 people attended the event, which began with festivities of the Delta Sorority, followed by the drum call for the DanceAfrica artists and community. The rhythms brought everyone to their feet as the procession, headed by Baba Chuck Davis (artistic Director, founder DanceAfrica) and the Council of Elders, turned the Restoration Amphitheater into a sacred dancing ground. The afternoon was filled with excitement with a show-stopping performance by Heritage OP, Mamadou Dahoue and the Ancestral Messengers, Wantanbe Drummers, Drumsongs and Dyane Harvey, to name a few. Each year, the Restoration Youth Arts Academy students showcase their achievements after a four-month intensive study of dance, visual and literary arts, and the cultural history of the visiting country. On Memorial Day weekend, the Restoration Dance Theatre Company was overwhelmingly received as they performed alongside the Pamodzi Dance Troupe in the BAM Opera House.
