ROOTS & WINGS: The Next Generation - Feet Keep the Beat Festival Showcase
About this Event
What happens when Flamenco collides with Tap? When West African dance intersects with Kathak? Join us for the 4th annual Feet Keep the Beat Festival to find out!
Feet Keep the Beat brings together vibrant and diverse percussive dance communities of West African, Kathak, Flamenco, Step, and Tap. This year, Arts at the Armory has commissioned our collective of six percussive dancers and five musicians to create ROOTS & WINGS: The Next Generation, an evening-length work premiering on July 31.
As the featured artists tell the story of how feet have been keeping the beat across time, cultures and geographies, they will deepen their collaboration by sharing the stage with the next generation. Some will perform alongside their children, while others will be joined by their students, creating a powerful celebration of artistic inheritance, mentorship, and renewal.
Honoring the roots that ground us and the wings that help us soar, ROOTS & WINGS explores how rhythm, movement, and cultural traditions are passed from one generation to the next—taking flight in new directions while remaining grounded in the traditions from which they emerged.
The 2026 Feet Keep the Beat Performance Showcase ROOTS & WINGS will include:
- Anjali Nath (Kathak)
- Ariaki Dandawate (Kathak)
- “Joh” Sidi Mohamed Camara (West African)
- Lekisha Limage (Step)
- Ryan Casey (Tap)
- Xianix Barrera (Flamenco)
- Akili Jamal Haynes (Percussion, Trumpet)
- Antonio Tran (Flamenco Guitar)
- Pranav Ghatraju (Tabla)
- Sory Diabate (Percussion)
- Tiemoko Camara (Percussion)
- And special youth guest artists
Tickets available now for ROOTS & WINGS on July 31st. Doors open at 7:00pm, the dancing starts at 8:00pm.
Tickets: $35 advance / $40 day of show. General Admission seating.
Tickets purchased for ROOTS & WINGS are non-refundable. All sales are final.
We strive to be a welcoming, accessible community arts space. We are delighted to be a part of Mass Cultural Council’s Card to Culture program.
Arts at the Armory will offer 10 free tickets (max of 2 free tickets per person) to EBT, WIC and ConnectCareholders for the Feet Keep the Beat Showcase performance. Please contact [email protected] for more information.
Lead program funding support provided by Valentine Talland and Nagesh Mahanthappa. Photo by Joni Lohr.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 39.98
