Are you ready to be immersed in the beauty and wonder of the African Diaspora? Coyaba Dance Theatre and Dance Place present to you the 38th annual DanceAfrica DC 2026 festival! Prepare to experience the heart and soul of Africa right here in DC. This year’s theme is ‘Past, Present, Future’. As a community, we will reflect on the past, find joy in the present, and celebrate our hope for the future! The enriching master classes, invigorating, indoor and outdoor performances, and vibrant African marketplace are sure to energize you!

Flight! is an evening-length dance opera and pilgrimage that investigates marronage as a method of placemaking. The work explores the life and legacy of Queen Nanny, a great warrior and healer who led the Windward Jamaican maroons in fighting off the British army. Original, live music and text combine to hold inventive movement that melds West African, ballet, Afro-Caribbean, and modern dance, reflective of the mixed-race maroon communities so integral to our freedom now. Through performance, dream dinners, freedom walks, and mirror talks, Flight! invites witnesses into collective world-building, offering them both the space for being and the tools for doing.

This presentation is supported by The Carla Perlo Fund for Choreography and Performance, established by the Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation

Image Description: A group of six dancers from chitra.MOVES are captured in a moment of dynamic tension and connection against a vibrant, sunset-hued backdrop. The image is framed by the repeating phrase "HOME IS COMING" and anchors Dance Place’s 45th anniversary season with a powerful display of collective movement.Photo Credit: Hamza Bakkach. Village Stories June 26 & […]