4 Little Girls: The Dance Film

The Afrikan Poetry Theatre Black History Month Film Festival presents this one-of-a-kind moving image experience, featuring live performance by tap musician Omar Edwards and dancers from the Edge School of the Arts. Hosted by Dianne Robertson Braddock, the sister of 14 year old Carole Robertson, one of the four girls killed in the 1963 church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama.

This inspirational program combines the art of dance and the moving image to address the trials and tribulations endured by African American communities, with the intent of promoting cross-cultural and cross-generational dialogue.

4 Little Girls: The Dance Film (choreographed & directed by Kerri Edge) is an exuberant dance performance by students of P.S. 40, I.S. 59, M.S. 356, the Edge School of the Arts (ESOTA) with special appearance by tap musician Omar Edwards (NBC’s It’s Showtime at the Apollo “Sandman”, Broadway’s “Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk), set to an experimental film that infuses historical authenticity and contemporary dance choreographed to spoken word and 60’s protest songs to recant the horrific story of the four young black girls murdered in the Alabama church bombing in 1963.

The film features a supporting cast of extraordinary artists including “Kinky Boots” star, Dougie Baldeo; cast members of Broadway’s late ’90s hit “Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk”: Jason Bernard, Abron Glover, Jason Samuels Smith, Baakari Wilder and Dormeshia; TED Fellow and Vancouver Tap Dance Society faculty member, Andrew Nemr; Steps on Broadway’s tap faculty member and Montclair State University tap professor, Alex MacDonald; and “The Forman Brothers” – featured cast members of the AMAZON Original Series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”.

The program will be hosted by Guest Speaker Dianne Robertson Braddock, the sister of 14-year-old Carole Robertson one of four girls killed in the 1963 church bombing in Birmingham, Ala. Braddock remembers precisely how she learned about the death of her sister and will lead a discussion immediately following the screening and live performance.

The event is part of the Commemoration of 400 Years of African American History in conjunction with the Afrikan Poetry Theater and is co-presented by A Better Jamaica, Inc. and the Nassau, Queens and Suffolk chapters of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. with support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs awarded by NYC Council Members Adrienne Adams (CD28), I. Daneek Miller (CD27), and Donovan Richards (CD31) as well as Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndma (AD29) and the Jerome Foundation for Jerome Artist Fellow, Kerri Edge.

Recommended for all ages

Tickets: $35 ($25 seniors, students, youth and museum members). Order tickets online. (Members may contact [email protected] with questions regarding online reservations.)   

Ticket purchase includes same-day admission to the Museum (see gallery hours). View the Museum’s ticketing policy here. For more information on membership and to join online, visit our membership page