Oakland, California, the Malonga Arts Collective (MAC) will cordially open its doors and extend an invitation to enthusiastic dancers from throughout the Bay Area to partake in the yearly Bay Area Dance Week (BATW) from April 26 to May 4, 2024, through dance and drum lessons. The Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, a cultural gem housing the ten-member arts organizations and teaching artists that comprise MAC, will proudly host the classes. As is customary, admission to all classes during the event is complimentary for the public.

Nikka Maynard, Co-Artistic Director of the Diamano Coura West African Dance Company, expressed her sentiments: “We want everyone to bring positive energy and fill the building with a joyful atmosphere.” This event serves as an opportunity for the resident companies and artists to reciprocate the unwavering support they have received from the community over many years. Their love and patronage enable us to pursue our endeavors passionately and passionately.

MAC, which also encompasses African Queen Dance Company, Bantaba Dance Ensemble, Dance-A-Vision Entertainment, Dimensions Dance Theater, Fua Dia Kongo, Likha Filipino Dance Ensemble, Omulu Capoeira Group, Rara Tou Limen, and SambaFunk!, will present a total of nineteen classes and host a Press Day on Saturday, April 27. Eight classes will be scheduled between 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. 

In addition, Dimensions Dance Theater will organize its annual program honoring its young students on Sunday, May 5, at the Phillip Reeder Performing Arts Center located at Castlemont High School in Oakland. This year’s theme is “Dreaming of Joy… Seeking a Just World,” and admission is free for youth.

The inception of Bay Area Dance Week in 1998 stemmed from National Dance Week, established in 1981, with the noble purpose of enhancing awareness of dance and its contributions to our national culture. Bay Area dancers and organizations came together to infuse BADW with a distinctive local flavor, ensuring that the festivities would reflect the Bay Area’s spirit of innovation and inclusivity.

According to the organizer, Dancers’ Group, BADW’s events consistently rank among the most well-attended in the nation. Over a hundred dance organizations present events that attract approximately 2,500 artists and 20,000 attendees annually.

BATW observed a hiatus from 2020 to 2022 to prioritize the safety of all during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its triumphant return witnessed an overwhelming turnout last year as dancers from across the Bay Area eagerly took to the dance floor again.

Based on last year’s statistics, MAC’s BADW individual classes averaged an approximate attendance of forty to fifty participants. Marynard and the Collective anticipate up to 3,000 total participants this year. Everyone is
invited to join the classes – from first-timers and novices to expert dancers who have been
performing for decades. “The hardest part last year was bringing awareness back, but now everyone is more
comfortable returning to downtown Oakland,” Maynard said. MAC is also excited about showcasing its historic Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, located at 1428 Alice Street in Oakland. What makes this event so unique is that we welcome the community and provide free programming, an outlet for all ages,” Maynard added. “And being cultural bearers, we remind people that the Center is still here. We all get to see the building come alive with back-to-back classes.

Interested participants may register in advance.

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES

All events held at Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts unless otherwise noted

Friday, April 26

1. Senegalese West African Dance, with Ousseynou Kouyate, 6:45 p.m. (Studio C)
2. Saturday, April 27 (All Saturday Classes held in Studio A unless otherwise noted)
3. Praise Dance, with Nikka Maynard, 10:30 a.m.
4. Haitian Dance, with Laurie Fleurentin, 11:30 a.m.
5. Kongolese Drum, with Kiazi Malonga, 12:30 p.m.
6. Kongolese Dance, with Muisi-kongo Malonga, 1:30 p.m.
7. West African Drum, with Baba Mosheh Milon, 2 p.m. (Studio D)
8. Afro-Caribbean Fusion, with Queen Mega, 2:30 p.m.
9. West African Dance, with Diamano Coura WADC, 3:30 p.m.
10. Hip-Hop Dance, with Corey Action, 4:30 p.m.
11. Sunday, April 28 (All Sunday Classes held in Studio C)
12. Cuban Dance, with Royland Lobato, 11 a.m.
13. Jazz, with Mecca Boutte, 1 p.m.
14. Hip-Hop Dance, with Ebonie Barnett, 2:30 p.m.
15. Guinea West African Dance, with Alseny Soumah, 4 p.m.

Tuesday, April 30

1. Kongolese Dance, with Muisi-kongo Malonga, 8 p.m. (Studio A)

Wednesday, May 1

1. Capoeira (Ages 7+), with Omulu Capoeira, 6 p.m. (Studio A)
2. Talawa Technique, with Latanya d. Tigner, 7:30 p.m. (Studio C)

Thursday, May 2

1. Youth Pan-African Movement (Ages 3.5-5), with Ms. Leslie Carter, 5 p.m. (Studio A)
2. Youth Pan-African Movement (Ages 5.5-8), with Ms. Leslie Carter, 5:45 p.m. (Studio A)
3. Detroit Ballroom & Hustle (Line Dance), with Lakiesha Golden, 7 p.m. (Studio C)

Saturday, May 4

1. Children’s Hip-Hop Dance (Ages 6-12), with Ms. Carla Service, 10 a.m. (Studio A)

Sunday, May 5

“Dreaming of Joy… Seeking a Just World” – Dimensions Dance Theater’s Annual Celebration of
Youth Dancers, 

Where: Castlemont High School, 8601 MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland, CA 
When: 4 p.m.
For more information, visit DimensionsDance.org.