The Kofago Institute is proud to invite our community to the Second Annual Teranga Conference, taking place June 12–14, 2026 in New York City.
This year’s conference theme, “Guardians of Culture: Building Sanctuary through Art and Education,” speaks directly to the heart of our work: preserving, teaching, researching, and celebrating the living traditions of the African Diaspora through dance, music, scholarship, and community exchange.
The Teranga Conference brings together artists, educators, scholars, students, cultural practitioners, and community members for a powerful weekend of movement, learning, conversation, and performance. Through dance classes, lecture-demonstrations, lectures, panel discussions, and live performance, the conference creates a space where culture is not only studied, but embodied, shared, and passed forward.
Youth Dance Intensive at Gibney Studios
The conference begins on Friday, June 12th with a special Youth Dance Intensive at Gibney Studios. This day is designed for middle school and high school students to experience African Diaspora dance in a professional, supportive, and culturally rich environment.
We are inviting educators, school leaders, dance teachers, youth organizations, and community programs to bring their students to this meaningful day of movement and cultural learning. Students will have the opportunity to take classes, engage with professional artists, and connect with traditions that continue to shape dance communities across New York City and beyond.
This intensive is an important part of the Kofago Institute’s mission to create access for young people and provide meaningful pathways into cultural education, performance, and creative leadership.
A Weekend of Dance, Research, and Community
Throughout the weekend, participants will engage in a range of conference activities, including:
- Dance classes rooted in African Diaspora movement traditions
- Lecture-demonstrations connecting movement, history, and research
- Scholarly and community-centered presentations
- Panel discussions with artists, educators, and cultural practitioners
- Opportunities for networking, exchange, and collaboration
The Teranga Conference is designed to honor the connection between practice and scholarship. It creates space for dancers, researchers, educators, and community leaders to come together in conversation and movement, recognizing that the body is also a site of memory, history, and cultural knowledge.
KASSOUMAII: Kofago’s Annual Production
On Saturday, June 13th at 7:00 PM, the conference continues with KASSOUMAII, Kofago’s annual production, taking place at The Lovinger Theatre at Lehman College.
This year, KASSOUMAII is presented as a featured event of the Teranga Conference and will include choreography from researchers affiliated with the conference. The performance will highlight the power of African Diaspora dance as a form of storytelling, cultural preservation, research, and artistic exchange.
KASSOUMAII has always been a gathering rooted in peace, community, and cultural connection. As part of the Teranga Conference, this year’s production deepens that purpose by bringing performance and research together on one stage.
Join Us June 12–14
The Teranga Conference is more than a weekend event. It is a gathering for those who believe in the power of culture to educate, heal, preserve, and build community.
We invite dancers, educators, students, families, researchers, cultural workers, and community members to join us for this important weekend.
Teranga Conference 2026
June 12–14, 2026
Ailey Extension & Gibney Studios | New York City
Youth Dance Intensive: Friday, June 12 at Gibney Studios
KASSOUMAII: Saturday, June 13 at 7:00 PM | The Lovinger Theatre, Lehman College
Tickets and registration are now open.
For more information about the conference schedule, registration, youth intensive, KASSOUMAII performance, and participating artists, please visit the Teranga Conference page on the Kofago Institute website.
We look forward to gathering with you this June as we continue to celebrate dance, culture, research, education, and community.
The culture continues.