Dance Parade set to kick off on May 18

New York’s largest dance event, the 18th Annual Dance Parade & Festival will heat up Manhattan’s streets on Sat., May 18.

More than 10,000 dancers will samba, boogie, waltz, robot dance and more in a vibrant celebration of artistic expression and global dance culture.

The parade kicks off at 17th Street and Sixth Avenue at 11:30 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring four grand marshals: Brenda Bufalino (tap dance); Lil Buck (Memphis jookin’), Martha Zárate-Alvarez (Mexican folkloric) and Norman Siegel (NYC civil liberties attorney).

Following the ceremony, Batalá New York, an all-female, Black-led drum and dance ensemble, will lead the parade down Sixth Avenue. More than 150 organizations representing a kaleidoscope of dance styles will showcase their talents, from freestyle to meticulously choreographed routines. At Eighth Street, the procession will turn left and head toward Tompkins Square Park, concluding with a dance festival with lots of free activities.

This year’s parade boasts a lineup rich in cultural diversity, from Asian, African and South American styles to urban movements, like Memphis jookin’, voguing and hip-hop. Partner dances, like Lindy Hop, ballroom, hustle and salsa, will also grace the streets, alongside studio-learned favorites like jazz and tap.

Twenty-six New York City schools will be sending student dance troupes, while 23 colorful floats featuring bellydance, flamenco, Chinese, 5Rhythms and hip-hop will add to the festive atmosphere. Live bands include cultural ensembles playing Afro-Caribbean, Middle Eastern, Thai, Haitian, Khmer, Samba and Scottish music with global rhythms from Get Empowered.

The festivities culminate with DanceFest in Tompkins Square Park, with dance performances on two stages, site-specific acts and a DJ dance party. Bring your dance shoes and rock out to disco DJs Tone Love, Misbehaviour, Kenny Parker, Ameer and a “Soul Train” set on the Social Stage.

There will also be free dance classes right across from the park at The Joyce Theater’s New York Center for Creativity & Dance, located in the former Boys Club of New York building, at the corner of Avenue A and 10th Street, offered by Grand Marshal Lil Buck, Mark Morris Dance Group and Peridance.

The Dance Parade advocates for the freedom to dance in New York City, and is part of the movement to end “outdated zoning restrictions that currently limit dancing in many areas.” You can sign the petition at legalizedance.org.

NYC Votes, a nonpartisan organization that works to make voter participation easier, will be featured with The Vinyl Nights Float alongside DJ’s Misbehaviour and Kenny Parker from Boogie Down Productions.

The dancing will continue at the Official After Party, where DJs KS360, Misbehaviour and Liquid Todd will throw down house, hip-hop and funky beats to round out a full day of dance.

To dance in the parade, register at danceparade.org/individual-registration.

Volunteer at danceparade.org/team-reg.

Launched in 2006, Dance Parade is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and sustaining dance artistry and cultivating supporters of the dance community.