In honor of Black History Month, the Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (JCAL) - Queens’ premier hub for the visual and performing arts – presents its annual festival A Weekend of West African Dance at JCAL: A Black History Month Presentation, a vibrant celebration of rhythm, history, and culture. The festival will be led by Kofago Dance Ensemble and FANIKE! African Dance, two acclaimed companies deeply rooted in West African movement traditions.

Through powerful choreography and live musical expression, A Weekend of West African Dance highlights the vitality, precision, and spiritual grounding of African dance - honoring ancestral traditions while celebrating their continued evolution through contemporary performance. In addition, the program will feature a post-performance “dance-back,” inviting audiences into conversation and reflection with the artists. The weekend will also include workshops helmed by the show’s choreographers and offering participants the opportunity to engage directly with the movement, technique, and the cultural foundations of West African dance.