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Cut a Rug at 12 Free Dance Parties in BK this Saturday Curated by Festival of New York

Join a world dance workshop, and move your feet at a silent disco or jive to Jamaican classics as part of Dance Party NYC, a citywide party with more than 80 locations.
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In Brooklyn, even our librarians get down.

Twelve dance parties—including block parties, dance workshops, silent discos, and family-friendly street fairs--are blasting everything from salsa to hip-hop in Brooklyn on Saturday, August 6, including one hosted by the Brooklyn Public Library.

The events are part of a city-wide dance party—with 83 locations in the other boroughs—curated by the Festival of New York and the Brooklyn Public Library, the New York Public Library and the Queens Public Library. All dance party locations are available on Dance Party NYC's interactive map.

At the 30 NYPL branches hosting dance parties and workshops, people will be welcome to take free books for kids and teens as a party favor and sign up for a library card.

The Brooklyn functions are scattered all around the borough at locations like the Lewis Avenue Open Street in Bed-Stuy, Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Heights and the Coney Island boardwalk.

Most of the Brooklyn events are free to attend and celebrate the sonic fabric of the borough, highlighting local live bands, dance instructors and DJs.

Festival of New York is an organization helping the city come alive with community events this summer as part of the city's pandemic recovery.

This could be you on Saturday. Photo: Courtesy of Brooklyn Public Library.
This could be you on Saturday. Photo: Courtesy of Brooklyn Public Library.

"Even in the best of times, any opportunity for fun and togetherness seems like a good one, but those moments feel extra meaningful right now," Dance Party NYC coordinator Aidan Flax-Clark said.

Flax-Clark is Associate Director of Public Programs at the NYPL.

"The question that inspired Dance Party NYC was how you could create a really big opportunity to bring together as many people as possible to engage with each other in something joyful—one that hopefully makes people all across the city feel connected."

Here are the Dance Party NYC events happening in Brooklyn on August 6:

African Dance Workshop

Follow the drum beats over to the Bristol Street Open Street in Brownsville for an all-ages African dance workshop led by instructors from Body Sculpt of NY, an organization that specializes in kid movement classes, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

The event is on Bristol Street between Livonia Avenue and Dumont Avenue.

Flat Foot, Contra and Fandango Lessons

Learn the primary elements of three very different dance styles at the Columbia Street Open Street on the Brooklyn waterfront.

New York-based band Radio Jarocho will play live music and teach the Fandango, a dramatic partner dance accompanied by castanets and clapping that originated in Spain and Portugal from 3 pm to 4:30 pm.

From 4:45 pm to 5:45 pm, learn to Flatfoot—a type of Appalachian clogging paired with upbeat fiddle music--with the City Stompers.

Contra dancing, a foot-stomping, high-energy Appalachian folk dance that crosses elements of square dancing and swing dancing will be taught by Brooklyn Contra from 6 pm to 8 pm.

The party is on Columbia Street between Hamilton Avenue and Woodhull Street.

Silent Disco at Coney Island

Turn up the volume at Coney Island and choose between 3 different stations of hip-hop, dance and classic hits as part of the 18+ silent disco—a party where everyone has headphones-- presented by the Alliance for Coney Island.

The event goes from 1 pm to 5 pm and is on West 12th Street between Surf Avenue and the Boardwalk.

A Classic Brooklyn Street Fair

At the Chauncey Street Open Street in Ocean Hill, expect an all-ages dance party featuring a live DJ and hip-hop lessons.

The event will also include fun carnival games, a moon bounce and a dunk tank for some nostalgic summer fun. The dance instructor and DJ haven't been announced yet.

The street fair will take place on Chauncey Street between Howard Avenue and Saratoga Avenue from 12 pm to 4 pm.

The 60th Anniversary of Jamaican Independence

Celebrate Jamaica's independence day—which takes place annually on August 6—with reggae and dancehall music at the Grand Army Plaza. The music will be selected by New York DJ Max Glazer, who toured for 4 years with Rihanna and has played parties for stars including Missy Elliott and Jay-Z.

Hosted by the central branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, the party will run from 2 pm to 3:30 pm.

The All-Women African Brazillian Drumline, Batalá NY

Celebrate the rhythms of Brazil and let the beat take over with Batalá NY, an all-women, Brooklyn-based percussion band that performs Samba-Reggae and music directly from the northeastern Brazillian state, Bahia.

Batalá NY is part of a larger international drum group that's been going strong and getting people dancing in over 19 different countries since the 90s. The Brooklyn branch is the only all-women branch and has over 60 members.

Batalá will first get the party started at Myrtle-Wyckoff Plaza at 3 pm and then march down Myrtle Avenue to the Myrtle-Knickerbocker Plaza, where the party will continue at 4:15 pm.

Learn Rueda at Banker's Anchor

Take a live Rueda lesson in Williamsburg just off of McCarren Park on Saturday, from instructors fluent in the language of Rueda and Casino dance. Rueda, which means 'wheel' in Spanish, is a partner salsa dance that takes place in a circle with other groups of partners.

Casino, which Rueda stemmed from, is a type of dance that blends spontaneous elements of Caribbean and African moves with salsa to create an electric, high-energy feeling.

The party goes from 3 pm to 7 pm on Nassau Avenue between North 15 Street and Banker Street and is suitable for dance partners of all ages.

Celebrate the Caribbean at Brooklyn Children's Museum

Brooklyn Children's Museum is throwing their annual Celebrate the Caribbean festival on Saturday, complete with vibrantly dressed dance bands leading the kids in dance and games.

Sesame Flyers and CarNYval, two long-running NYC-based dance, music and education groups, will be bringing the party, carnival-style complete with upbeat moves and unique, artistic costumes.

The party, which is happening inside the museum, will be going on all day Saturday, from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission to the museum is $13.

Flatbush Block Party

Two DJs will be playing the hits in Flatbush on Saturday from 3 pm to 7 pm for a block party hosted by the Flatbush Nostrand Business Improvement District.

The party will be on Hillel Place between Flatbush Avenue and Kenilworth Avenue. The event is recommended for ages 15-35, but all are welcome. The DJs have not been announced yet.

The details of the dance parties at Albee Square in Downtown Brooklyn and Lewis Avenue Open Street have not been announced.



Miranda Levingston

About the Author: Miranda Levingston

Miranda Levingston is an award-winning reporter and editor passionate about covering the change-makers in her borough.
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