African American Dance Company 50th Anniversary: Jewel in the Crown

By Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Since 1974, the legendary African American Dance Company (AADC) has been a precious jewel in the IU crown. Directed by Baba Stafford C. Berry Jr., AADC provides transformative artistic and academic experiences for many IU students, faculty, staff, and community members. We invite alumni, patrons, and friends to help ensure another 50 years of opportunities for students to perform, research, and travel.

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The African American Dance Company will present its 50th Annual Spring Concert at Buskirk-Chumley Theater on April 13, 2024. This concert kicks off their year-long 50th Anniversary Celebration during the 2024-25 academic year! The anniversary year will honor the shining legacy of AADC and its community, cementing its place in IU and United States Black dance history.

AADC is a jewel in the IU crown, set at the intersection of performance, education, and advocacy. 
It is a valuable cultural resource and ambassador for Black dance performance and culture, embodied research, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and robust student leadership and creative scholarship.

Founded in 1974 under the direction of Professor Iris Rosa, AADC shares movement traditions and diverse dances from the African diaspora and African American culture. The company’s repertoire includes African dance styles, contemporary, modern, jazz, hip-hop, and various cultural forms. Bringing Black dance to center stage, AADC performs locally, nationally, and internationally at colleges and universities, schools and community centers, conferences and festivals, corporate events, and more.