New York City Dance Parade

The New York City Dance Parade brings nearly 5,000 dancers and scores of supporters to the streets of Manhattan in May in celebration of culture, community and the art of movement. Dance Parade cuts across ethnic, geographical and age delineation thr... more

The New York City Dance Parade brings nearly 5,000 dancers and scores of supporters to the streets of Manhattan in May in celebration of culture, community and the art of movement. Dance Parade cuts across ethnic, geographical and age delineation through one of the city’s greatest and most diverse art forms. All are invited to join this kid-friendly event intended to unite, but also raise awareness of the importance of dance in the community. Registered dance groups range from ballet to belly dance, B-boy to the rumba, and from salsa to swing. In addition to the dance companies and individual dancers, colorful floats, live bands and DJs waltz, tango and pirouette down Broadway from 28th Street to Tompkins Square Park with a dance festival finale in the park.

Hundreds of volunteers, local business and several city agencies cooperate in support of this immense project.


Drag the street view to look around 360°.
Use the arrow buttons to navigate down the street and around the neighborhood!

East Village Description

New York City Dance Parade is located in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan. Long before the musical "Rent" brought in legions of pierced, tattooed teenagers from every corner of America (and drove up the rents), the East Village was an eclectic mix of elderly Ukranians and Poles, Dominican and Puerto Rican families, and assorted artists, wanna-be bohemians, punks, their followers, lovers and friends. (Did we leave anyone out?) Largely gone are the heroin dealers, all night parties, punk music extravaganzas and infamous Bagel Tree of the 1980s and early 1990s, but the real landmarks remain, including the Joseph Papp Public Theater, Tompkins Square Park, and Cooper Union. The Public offers some of New York’s finest Off-Broadway Theater as well as Joe’s Pub, with a diverse variety of live shows. Beautiful Tompkins Square Park offers something for everyone, including dog runs, basketball courts, a weekly market, outdoor music events, and occasionally local characters chatting late into the night to infrequent riots. To be fair, few other parks in America have played such an important role in radical or anarchist history. Many long-time residents complain of the neighborhood’s recent gentrification, and skyrocketing rents forced even legendary punk club CBGB's to exit the neighborhood, replaced by a John Varvatos boutique. And while there are truly many new restaurants and boutiques dotting Avenues A, B and C, lots of the famous watering holes, dives, and other unclassifiably scrappy bars remain. Some of our favorites include Mars on lower First Avenue, Zum Schneider on Avenue C, 2A on the corner of Second Street and Avenue A, and Lit Lounge, with its adjoining Fuse Gallery. Make sure to check out the Polish butcher stores on First Avenue and the nearby Italian pastry shops, walk along the Ukranian strip of Second Avenue, try one of the Japanese restaurants on East Ninth Street, and also walk along St. Marks Place, one of New York’s most eclectic streets. East 4th Street's Theater Row boasts cultural buildings which house eight theaters and twelve dance companies as well as a couple of community development groups. Among its members are New York Theater Workshop, La MaMa Experimental Theatre, Rod Rodgers Dance Co., WOW Cafe Theatre, Millennium Film Workshop, Duo Multicultural Arts Center, Teatro Circulo, Downtown Art, Alpha Omega Dance Co., Choices Theater, Teatro IATI, Cooper Square Committee and Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association. The Nuyorican Poets Café is still going strong on East Third Street between Avenues B and C. Since 1973 its mission has been to create a multi-cultural venue that provides a stage for artists traditionally underrepresented in the mainstream media and culture. Poetry slams, theater performances, open jam sessions for hip-hop, poetry and jazz, as well as unique screenplay readings all take place on a weekly basis in this intimate cultural setting. For film buffs, we would be remiss not to mention the Anthology Film Archives on East 2nd Street, a local theater best known for consistently showing the finest in avant-garde and experimental cinema. We also recommend the Landmark Sunshine Cinema on East Houston Street, home away from home for those who enjoy great acoustics and the company of die hard independent film fans. The East Village is also home to the trendy Cooper Square Hotel as well as the charming Gem Hotel, making it a great neighborhood to enjoy your stay in New York.

There are no events taking place on this date.

Info

New York, NY

Editorial Rating

Featured On

Other Parades & Festivals Attractions

Brooklyn Book Festival

The Brooklyn Book Festival is a huge, free public event presenting an array of l... view

New York Asian Film Festival

In 2009, the New York Asian Film Festival will be held from June 19 to July 5. L... view

Chinese New Year

The oldest and most important festival in China is the Spring Festival, more com... view

Central Park Conversancy Film Festival

From August 22-26, the Central Park Conservancy brings classic films to the area... view

 

New York City Wine & Food Festival

The Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Food & ... view

Central Park Pumpkin Festival

Central Park's annual Pumpkin Festival on October 30th takes the best traditions... view

Coney Island Film Festival

One of MovieMaker magazine's 25 Coolest Film Festivals, the Coney Island Film Fe... view

Veterans Day Parade

The Veterans Day Parade has been celebrated in New York City since 1929. Over 20... view