Bay Area Dance Week brings back its big public kick off at Yerba Buena Gardens. Dancers’ Group,Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and Rhythm & Motion come together to host a series of high-energy and accessible dance classes led by Rhythm & Motion. The day’s outdoor activities are from 11am to 2pm. 

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 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.