Dance Parade 2012

By Charles Kessler

One of the most joyous New York City events is the annual Dance Parade. This year thousands of participants danced down lower Manhattan beginning at Broadway and 20th Street and eventually making their way to Tompkins Square Park where there was a free festival with dance performances, workshops, lessons and lots of merry-making. Seventy-five different dance styles were represented from African to Zumba, and from Ballet to Modern. Here are some photos:

Bolivian dancers resting in Tompkins Square Park.

Marni Halasa's Blading Belly Dancing

Jersey City was well represented. Here is our own Donald Gallagher groovin' along with Jamaican DanceHall Aerobics.

And Jersey City's Nimbus Dance Works performed an excerpt from choreographer Pedro Ruiz's Danzon. The the wires overhead were a surprise they dealt with admirably.

The company's 6th annual Jersey City Spring Season will be at Grace Church in Jersey City, June 7-9, 2012. You can purchase tickets here. Try not to miss it.

Probably because I was the only person at the entire festival wearing a sport coat, they allowed me behind the stage to watch the dancers warm up.

On the left: Nimbus Dance Works. On the right: Zouk Nation - a company from Brazil.

And the finale, an absolute delight, was the The Isadore Duncan Dance Company. Note the little girls in front imitating the dancers. 

In celebration of Isadore Duncan's 135th birthday, the company will be performing May 22 - 26 at the Judson Memorial Church in the Village. You can buy tickets here.