Shining a Light with the African American Dance Caller Pathways in Fort Worth, Texas
Angelina Rios-Galindo| Smithsonian Folklife Festival Blog
For the 2026 Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival, DTMR was honored to receive program support from and collaborate with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (read more about the collaboration here).
The support helped us bring two new parts to FWAAMFest: a live documentary screening experience at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and African American Dance Caller Pathways. DTMR Founder/Executive Director and FWAAMFest Organizer Brandi Waller-Pace launched the six month-long initiative to contribute to the repatriation the calling of traditional social dances such as squares and contras to Black communities who played a central part in their development.
Read more about African American Dance Caller Pathways in this brilliantly penned blog post by Smithsonian Folklife Festival Program Coordinator Angelica Rios-Galindo at this link.
Even attendees do-si-do.
AA Dance Caller Pathways cohort member Briar teaches a dance as instructor Dr. Clover Johnson looks on.
AA Dance Caller Pathways Instructor Dr. Clover Johnson practices with cohort member Audra Scott ahead of the initiative's first in person event in Fort Worth.
AA Dance Caller Pathways cohort member Carol July calls a dance at the FWAAMFest free Friday kickoff event, accompanied by a live band.
The pilot cohort of African American Dancer Caller Pathways sat on a panel at the Fort Worth African American Roots Festival to talk about their experiences and the history of Black traditions in square and contra dance.