Ogemdi Ude: MAJOR (Prospect Park)
Prospect Park Alliance, in partnership with Danspace Project, is honored to present MAJOR, a powerful dance project by Ogemdi Ude that explores the profound physicality, rich history, and vibrant interiority of majorette dance. As a featured presentation of the Alliance’s ReImagine Lefferts initiative and Danspace Project’s Platform 2026: Secret Gardens, this celebratory Juneteenth performance transforms the iconic Prospect Park Boathouse into a stage for master showmanship.
Following its acclaimed NYC premiere at New York Live Arts in January 2026, this outdoor iteration marks the beginning of MAJOR’s summer tour. These performances delve into how technique, effort, and mastery can be attempted, achieved, and abandoned in pursuit of cultural belonging.
The work honors the legacy of Black femme teams who created a movement style requiring master showmanship with a dedicated allegiance to count, undulation, groove, and sensual yet strong performativity. Ogemdi Ude’s cast of all Black femme dancers and collaborators embraces majorettes as a form and a fundamental relic of Black girlhood. Together they pursue the intimate journey of returning to bodies that they thought were lost. As a fierce investigation of physical memory, sexuality, sensuality, and community, MAJOR stands as a nuanced love letter to the folks who taught the team how to be proudly Black and proudly femme.
The Chord Archive is showcased alongside the performances to provide a deeper context for the work. This physical and digital documentation of the creative process includes personal historical accounts from former majorette dancers, ensuring their stories are preserved as part of this cultural exploration. We invite the community to join us at the Boathouse for this striking intersection of history and mastery in the heart of Brooklyn’s Backyard.
Location: Audubon Center at the Boathouse in Prospect Park 
Brooklyn. Directions to this location
Cost: Free