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Bed-Stuy is getting seven straight days of dance, drumming, wellness and live performance when the Art Is Alive Festival returns for its 10th anniversary this month.
Presented by the Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation, the free festival will run from Sunday, September 13, through Saturday, September 19, at Asase Yaa School of the Arts, located on MacDonough Street between Malcolm X Boulevard and Patchen Avenue. This year’s theme, “Rooted 10 Years Deep,” pays tribute to the residents, families, artists and cultural leaders who have helped sustain the event over the past decade.
Programming starts with a week of free 90-minute classes spanning West African and Caribbean dance, percussion and wellness. The lineup includes a Pilates session with dancer and educator Dyane Harvey-Salaam on September 13 and a Mali-focused class led by Emmy-nominated director and choreographer Jeffrey Page on September 14.
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Former Les Ballet Africains principal dancer Mouminatou Camara will teach West African dance on September 15, followed by Haitian folk dance expert Nadia Dieudonné on September 16. Asase Yaa founder and artistic director Yao Ababio leads a djembe and West African movement class on September 17, while Senegalese choreographer Babacar M’baye closes out the weekday programming with a Sabar dance class on September 18. (Class capacity is limited, so advance registration is required.)
The entire week builds toward the festival’s second annual block party, which will take over the neighborhood from noon to 7 pm on Saturday, September 19. Journalist, actress and producer Sharon Gordon will emcee the festivities, with performances from the Bessie Award-winning Asase Yaa African American Dance Theater and the highly energetic Brooklyn United Marching Band.
Beyond the performances, a street marketplace will serve African- and Caribbean-inspired food and drinks alongside artwork, jewelry, fashion, beauty and wellness goods from local artisans and businesses. Community members will also be honored with awards during the celebration.
The milestone arrives during an especially big year for Asase Yaa, which is marking its own 25th anniversary. For a group that has spent a quarter-century connecting young New Yorkers with African diasporic culture, seven days of art spilling into the streets feels like a fitting birthday party.