The next four weeks can be described with one word: DANCE!
The Jamaica Dance Festival 2024 will unfold in Rufus King Park on the first four Saturdays in June. Presented by A Better Jamaica, a total of 10 distinct, diverse troupes will perform outdoors.
Here’s the lineup.
June 1: Wan Chi Ming Dragon and Lion Dance Team; Obremski/Works; and Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet.
June 8: Michela Marino Lerman and Pedro Giraudo Tango Company.
June 15: Ballet Inc.; Nélida Tirado Flamenco/Arte 718; and Thomas/Ortiz Dance
June 22: Jiva Dance and Brooklyn Ballet.
Admission is free, and each show starts at 7 pm. A Better Jamaica will provide about 100 chairs on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own.
Here’s more detailed information on the troupes.
June 1
Wan Chi Ming Dragon and Lion Dance Team
Established in Manhattan’s Chinatown in 1973, the Wan Chi Ming Hung Gar Institute is dedicated to preserving Chinese martial arts and dragon and lion dancing.
Established in 2018, Obremski/Works strives to promote the artistry of Asian American Pacific Islander individuals and communities.
Founder and Artistic Director Jamel Gaines has more than 22 years of teaching and choreographing experience. His more recent choreography includes a live-streamed performance during Spike Lee’s annual tribute concert to Michael Jackson.
June 8
Michela Marino Lerman is a tap dance artist, performer, choreographer, band leader, educator, and all-around creative spirit who won the 2019 Hoofer Award.
This tango ensemble’s fervent and virtuosic musical style takes elements from Argentine tango, European classical music, and American jazz while retaining all the lushness and beauty that characterize the genre.
June 15
Founded by Executive Artistic Director Aaron Atkins in 2012, Ballet Inc. reaches audiences via festival appearances, national touring engagements, and Spring and Fall home seasons in North Carolina and New York City.
Nélida Tirado Flamenco/Arte 718
Nélida Tirado embodies the passion of Flamenco and Latin dance.
Thomas/Ortiz Dance presents the choreographic works of Ted Thomas and Frances Ortiz with a focus on developing a musical, athletic, and sensual approach to their dances.
June 22
Founded in 2007 and under the artistic direction of Sonali Skandan, Jiva Dance explores the intersections of classicism, modernity, and experimentalism. The company has presented five original evening-length dance productions and has toured nationally and internationally.
Guided by Artistic Director Lynn Parkerson, Brooklyn Ballet reflects a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural approach to ballet. Their dances are created through collaborations with musicians, writers, designers, hackers, visual artists, and neighbors.
Rufus King Park is bordered by Jamaica Avenue, 89th Avenue, 150th Street and 153rd Street. There’s parking on the street, and the closest train station is Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer on the E, J, and Z lines.
Images from A Better Jamaica