Bay Area Dance Week to Return in April

Bay Area Dance Week, the beloved 10-day celebration of movement, dance, and community, takes center stage this April 26 – May 5, 2024. This year’s festivities will showcase a plethora of events, from workshops and performances to open rehearsals and classes, spanning San Francisco, East Bay, North Bay, and South Bay. As always, every event is completely free of charge.

The festival's lively public kickoff will be held on Saturday, April 27th, at 12pm at Yerba Buena Gardens, featuring Rhythm and Motion instructor Dudley Flores leading the crowd in a group dance called One Dance, setting the tone for an exciting week ahead. Participants can learn the moves beforehand by visiting bopsidy.com/h/badw. One Dance will be followed by a series of high-energy and accessible dance classes led by Rhythm & Motion. 

Throughout the following ten days, hundreds of events will unfold across the Bay Area, offering participants the chance to connect, learn, and celebrate the power of dance. BADW offers something for everyone regardless of experience, age, and ability. Among the confirmed events to date are an open rehearsal with Smuin Contemporary Ballet, an aerial dance workshop with Jo Kreiter, “A Taste of Odissi Indian Classical Dance”, a “Latin Sunday Dance Class & DJ Dance Party”, and much more. More details on the festival will be announced at the end of March and throughout April.  

The History of Bay Area Dance Week

National Dance Week was founded in 1981 to increase awareness of dance and its contributions to our culture. The first Bay Area Dance Week (BADW) festival grew out of a public dialogue in 1998, when dance artists, administrators, and organizations came together to explore how best to spotlight Bay Area dance. The festival that emerged took a national initiative and imbued it with the innovative and inclusive spirit of the Bay Area. As the largest per capita center for dance in the US, the Bay Area's festivities have been the most extensive and best attended celebrations in the country since BADW's inception. Each year, over 200 dance organizations and artists present events during Bay Area Dance Week, involving more than 2,500 artists and 20,000 attendees. Dancers’ Group presents the annual event.

About Dancers' Group

Dancers' Group promotes the visibility and viability of dance. Founded in 1982, we serve San Francisco Bay Area artists, the dance community and audiences through programs and services that are as collaborative and innovative as the creative process. As the primary dance service organization in the Bay Area, we support the second largest dance community in the nation by providing many programs and resources that help artists produce work, build audiences, and connect with their peers and community. dancersgroup.org

About Yerba Buena Gardens

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival presents over 100 free outdoor music, theater, circus, dance, poetry, and children’s programs in Yerba Buena Gardens in downtown San Francisco. This year's 23rd annual Festival will open on Saturday, May 4 and run each and every week and weekend until the end of October. ybgfestival.org.

About Rhythm & Motion

At Rhythm & Motion, we believe that anyone can dance. We offer a full schedule of drop-in classes 365 days a year. Our classes take place in our beautiful state-of-the-art home studio at ODC Dance Commons and in satellite locations including Alonzo King LINES Dance Center (San Francisco, CA), Motion Pacific (Santa Cruz, CA), and Berkeley Ballet Theater(Berkeley, CA). rhythmandmotion.com.

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