Whether you like ballet or tap, swing or salsa, tango or two-step, you’ll find it at the 11th annual or Dance Parade New York this weekend, as 10,000 Broadway stars and other dancers boogie down Broadway. There are dance performances en route at a giant grandstand, and the parade ends in a giant block party with more dancing.
This year’s Grand Marshals are Broadway legend Maurice Hines, capoeira master Mestre João Grande, and technomusic pioneer Frankie Bones.
Dance Parade New York showcases more than 150 dance groups, including from many NYC dance studios, and more than 80 unique styles of dance, all to celebrate peace and unity – and the joy of dancing.
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Dance Parade New York steps off from Broadway and 21st St. at 1pm, dancing down broadway through Union Square and University Place, across 8th Street/Saint Marks to a Grandstand in Astor Place Plaza, where performances take place.
There are more performances at the DanceFest block party in Tomkins Square Park, 3pm to 7pm, with FREE dance performances on four stages, FREE dance lessons in social dancing, and FREE partner dancing to music from DJs.
Some background on the Grand Marshals:
Maurice Hines – The tap dance legend has graced Broadway stages for musical hits including Eubie!, Bring Back Birdie, and Sophisticated Ladies. He received a Tony Award nomination as Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in Uptown… It’s Hot!, which he also directed and choreographed. Mr. Hines has also received critical acclaim as a director for music videos, Radio City Music Hall, and his own shows, like Broadway Soul Jam and, most recently, for his autobiographical production, Tappin’ Through Life.
João Grande –Brazilian-born, he is a Grand Master of Capoeira Angola, a martial art which blends dance, song and acrobatics and attracts zealous followers from all over the world. He has taught thousands of students at his New York Academy Capoeira Angola Center of Mestre João Grande, and staged innumerable Capoeira Angola performances.
Frankie Bones – A techno and house DJ widely credited with bringing rave culture to the United States in the early 1990s. With a discography of dozens of international hits, Bones coined the term “Peace, Love and Unity” which grew into “Peace Love Unity and Respect” (PLUR), a global movement that has nourished electronic dance music for more than two decades.
See you on the dance floor!
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