Photo: wcalvinanderson.wordpress.com
The Brooklyn Academy of Music announced in a statement on Sunday that Abdel R. Salaam will be the new incoming artistic director for DanceAfrica, replacing elder Dr. Charles "Chuck" Davis.
Davis launched DanceAfrica at BAM in 1977, featuring his own dance company in the first year.
After 37 years, Davis has showcased over 80 companies across a wide range of the African Diaspora, making the dance festival BAM's longest-running annual program and expanding to include BAMcafé music performances, films, workshops, visual arts and the outdoor bazaar.
Salaam, executive artistic director and co-founder of New York-based Forces of Nature Dance Theatre, will work with Davis over the next two years and take the lead on programming the festival in 2016. He will continue to lead Forces of Nature.
Chuck Davis will remain actively involved with the festival as artistic director emeritus.
