Got your dancing shoes on? I sure did! On May 16th, 2009, dancers, dance aficionados and tourists came together for an afternoon of sun and dance for the 3rd Annual Dance Parade. This is a tradition for Mike and I, but this year since he is backpacking, (There is always next year!) I made sure to take full coverage of this years dance parade. For many, the concept is strange for a second,”You mean dancing, in the middle of the street?” Why not?
5291 Dancers, 113 Dance Organizations, 59 Unique Dance Styles and recently Proclaimed and recognized by the NYC mayor, Mike Bloomberg, the Dance parade is here to stay! Thanks to the Dance Parade organization, hundreds came out on a nice Saturday after noon to watch down Broadway from 32nd Street to Tompkins Square Park. I got a lucky spot at 23rd Street and Broadway where I saw colorful dancers, dedicated high school groups and live DJ’s performing on floats.
Dance is a diverse art form that brings everyone together; old, young, hip hop lovers, house heads, its the appreciation of a beautiful form of self expression in a city which is a huge melting pot. People in the crowd were clapping to music genres they have never heard of before. Children were begging their parents to enroll them in dance classes, so they too could join the dance parade one day. It was an excellent way to spend a Saturday afternoon in the Spring.
I followed the parade down to the East Village, where unfortunately my camera died, 15 minutes before the parade ended. I had a great time watching all the live performances and following the parade down to the end! Here are some of the photographs and videos of the parade.
Stay tuned. Your AOB little Dolce will be taking dance lessons this summer! Happy Dancing!
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