The Sixth Annual Dance Parade and Festival will take to the streets of New York City on Saturday, May 19 at 1:00 p.m.
According to a Dance Parade official, the event, which unites dancers of all genres throughout the city, will start on 21st Street and Broadway, move and grove south through Union Square, turn east on St. Mark’s Place and rock ‘n’ roll into Tompkins Square Park in the East Village for Dance Fest.
Starting at 3:00 p.m., the Festival is a three-hour program of free dance performances, workshops, lessons and social dancing scattered throughout the park. Dance Parade includes more than 70 styles of dance everything from classical ballet to contemporary hip-hop to folk dance traditions from Hawaii, Bolivia, Britain, India and the Caribbean.
“Dance Parade is a celebration of dance. For one day only the streets of New York are softened with the grace of human movement in splendid color and sound, expressing joy at every twist and turn,” said Greg Miller, executive director of Dance Parade Inc.
“This parade celebrates New York as the dance capital of the world, but it also educates the audience that dance can be fun and easy, and is truly good for your health,” added Miller.
Dance Parade, since its inception in 2007, has seen 30 of the more than 200 groups participate for all five years; dance participation has increased four fold, and spectators have increased by nearly 50 percent each year, with an estimated 65,000 attendees in 2012.
The list of dance genres to be represented in the Sixth Annual Dance Parade will include traditional, cultural, urban, electronic, and club dance styles. Participants and spectators can check into the Parade on FourSquare as a moving target or post real-item videos to Dance Parade’s YouTube channel. Fans can also follow the parade on Twitter and Facebook.
About Dance Parade New York
Dance Parade is an entity of Dance Parade Inc., which began in 2006 as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. Its charitable mission is to promote dance as an expressive and unifying art form, while educating the public about opportunities to experience dance. Dance Parade celebrates diversity by showcasing all forms of dance around the world through sponsorship of a yearly, citywide Dance Parade and Dance Festival.
Additional programs include education outreach and artistic partnerships to aid in increased public awareness, and the showcasing of dance on multiple levels. For more information about Dance Parade New York’s programs, volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, or to donate, please visit www.danceparade.org
Photo by Jon Woodward
