2009 New Orleans Dance Festival

THE 13TH ANNUAL NEW ORLEANS DANCE FESTIVAL brings together internationally renowned guest artists from Brazil, Cuba, the Congo, and Haiti as well New York Artist Camille A. Brown and New Orleans Heritage Artists.

Now in its 13th year, the New Orleans Dance Festival offers participants enriching dancing, drumming, and singing experiences celebrating the African presence in American dance.

Guest artists from Brazil, the Congo, Cuba, and Haiti come to New Orleans to share with NODF participants the significance of their rituals, the symbolism of their dance movements, the message of their songs. Festival classes trace the migration of movement and rhythms from Africa to the Caribbean to the uniquely New Orleans vernacular and to the African presence in American contemporary dance.

The 13th Annual New Orleans Dance Festival (NODF) features cultural specific morning sessions that integrate history, drumming, dancing, and singing into a interactive learning experience. In the afternoon the NODF schedule offers contemporary dance technique and repertory classes with Camille A. Brown, or Afro-based dance followed by a drumming class. In the evening there are more opportunities for two different styles of Afro-based dance classes.

NODF participant will learn choreography and perform in the culminating event of the festival "The New Orleans Dance Festival in Concert", Friday, July 10, 2009.

New Orleans Heritage Performance at Congo Square Sunday, June 28, 2009

New Orleans Dance Festival participants join with New Orleans Heritage Artists to celebrate the unique dance and music traditions of New Orleans. Demonstrations take place in the historic site of Congo Square featuring the dances of Congo Square by Kumbuka African Dance and Drum Collective, the Yellow Pocahontas Mardi Gras Indians, the second-line dancers of the Untouchable Social Aid and Pleasure Club, the Treme Brass Band, and Skull and Bones.

A special event you should not miss, so plan to travel on Saturday, June 27th in order to be here for the opening Congo Square Event - Sunday, June 28th.

There's more - Thursday night we travel to Rock'n Bowl for Zydeco dancing plus trips to the French Quarter, Bourbon Street, the historic Treme area and more.

Congo Square

If there is one place in the United States that can be credited with being the spiritual Birthplace of jazz, it must be the Place des Negres, or old Congo Square, in what is now Louis Armstrong Park. Here, enslaved Africans were allowed to meet and dance, speaking in their native African tongues and playing their traditional instruments. The square bustled with these activities from the early 1800's until 1857.

Full Festival fees $650 if paid by April 30th
Full Festival fees $750 if paid by May 30th
Full Festival fees $850 if paid after May 30th
Individual Classes are $18

Housing: Tulane University's Division of Housing and Residential Life provide housing for NODF participants in Aron Residence. The apartment features private bedrooms with a common kitchen - living room, and shared baths. Participants must bring their linens. The rooms are $28 per night- for 13 nights housing is $364 or for 14 nights is $392. This price does not included meals. In order to reserve a room half of the room fees must be paid and the remaining amount paid in full before the festival begins. Housing reservations must be made before April 30th.

More Information is included on the registration/application form.