Bachata, Disco & More to be Featured in Bryant Park Dance Party 2024

​Dance Party will return to Bryant Park and celebrates its 10th anniversary season with ten styles of dance over six nights! Dance Party events will take place every Wednesday and Thursday from May 1 to May 16. At each event, attendees meet at the iconic Bryant Park fountain to learn basic steps with expert instructors at 6pm. Afterwards, participants can test out their new moves to live music performed by a diverse selection of bands from 7pm-8:30pm. Food and beverages will be available for purchase – snacks and light bites crafted by local vendors curated by Hester Street Fair, as well as a selection of beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages by Stout NYC. Note: Latin Festival on 5/16 ends at 10pm

This year's series kicks off with New York City's signature brand of Salsa and R&B – as well as Dance Party's 50th all-time performance – served up by Uptown Royalty (5/1); followed by hits from Disco's golden era from The Disco Nights (5/2); Bachata Tradicional with Bachata sensation Judy Santos (5/8); Lindy Hop from award-winning vocalist and bandleader Charles Turner & Uptown Swing (5/9); a night of Motown-inspired dance music from KD Browne (5/15); and a four-hour closing night event dubbed Latin Festival, featuring four different dance genres – Charanga, Cuban Salsa, Cha Cha Cha, and Salsa Dura – with the help of two legendary Latin dance bands, La Charanga Pacha and Jimmy Bosch Salsa Masters (5/16).

Dance Party brings New Yorkers together, and more than a few couples have met on the dance floor. Latin hustle and salsa cabaret world champions Vuk Stefanovic and Rebecca Blomberg met at Dance Party in 2019: Rebecca was a dance host for the series, and Vuk attended as a member of the public. Within months, the newly formed ballroom couple was competing and dancing internationally. Vuk and Rebecca are recently engaged to be married and continue to dance at Bryant Park each summer.

Bryant Park Dance Party producer and host Talia Castro-Pozo says, “Over the past ten years, Bryant Park Dance Party has grown to a new level, offering some of the most exciting, diverse, free entertainment in one of New York's most beautiful settings. This year, we're featuring a range of styles, both traditional and new, and the colorful lineup brings together so many different parts of the City. This series is so special to me because it brings so many New Yorkers together to dance and have the time of their lives."

For the last ten years, Bryant Park Dance Party has highlighted diverse cultures and traditions from around the globe and across the boroughs of New York City. More than 50,000 participants have danced on the Fountain Terrace and expert instructors have taught 32 different social dance styles ranging from Bhangra to Polka; Cumbia to Lindy Hop; Flamenco to Contra. After learning the dance steps, audiences immediately put those moves to use, dancing to live music from renowned bands. Over the years, the series has hosted the George Gee Swing Orchestra, Tito Puente Jr., Gregorio Uribe, Mariachi Real de Mexico, and many more.

More information about other upcoming cultural events at Bryant Park, including a lineup announcement for Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America, a multi-month festival of concerts, dance and theater, will be released in the coming weeks. For more information about these events, to request artist or curator interviews, photos of performers from past events, or to arrange for on-site photography or press passes, please contact John Seroff at GreenHouse Publicity by replying to this email or at John@GreenHousePublicity.com.

2024 Bryant Park Dance Party

Performance Details

Wednesday, May 1

Salsa Soul Sizzle: Salsa and R&B with Uptown Royalty

6pm: Salsa Instruction

7pm: Live Dance Music with Uptown Royalty

Uptown Royalty NYC is truly a new musical phenomenon, created by the sensational, seasoned stage veteran husband-and-wife dynamic duo Jodi Music and Ron Renaissance. URNYC features an array of originals and classic cover dance songs spanning a wide variety of genres to create their unique sound, called Electro Latin Soul. This fresh, new, exhilarating sound fusion combines the best attributes of each genre, creating a sonic landscape that will keep you dancing all night long!

Thursday, May 2

Do the Hustle: Disco with The Disco Nights

6pm: Hustle Instruction

7pm: Live Dance Music with The Disco Nights

"Everybody Dance" like it's Studio 54 – from ‪the Bee Gees‬ to ‪Donna Summer‬ to Chic and so much more, it's ‪Saturday Night Fever‬ all over again! The Disco Nights includes incredible vocalists Alessandra Guercio, Jerome Bell and Adam Bastien from American Idol and The Voice. Backed by one of the tightest veteran bands of the New York City music scene, including Musical Director and Billboard-charting superstar JJ Sansaverino on guitar, Stanley Banks on the bass, Etienne Lytle and Patrick Firth on the keys, Damon DueWhite on the drums, and Danny Sadownick on percussion. Join The Disco Nights as they take you on a musical adventure back into the Disco scene!

Wednesday, May 8

Bachata and the City: Bachata Tradicional with Judy Santos

6pm: Bachata Instruction

7pm: Live Dance Music with Judy Santos

Dominican singer-songwriter and bachata singer Judy Santos first broke onto the scene when she performed on Aventura's chart-topping song "Obsesión" in 2002. Santos continued to collaborate with the popular bachata band, including songs such as “La Guerra” and “Angelito." Since beginning her solo career, Santos has emerged as one of the great interpreters of the genre, one typically dominated by men.

Thursday, May 9

Swing Fling: Lindy Hop with Charles Turner & Uptown Swing

6pm: Lindy Hop Instruction

7pm: Live Dance Music with Charles Turner & Uptown Swing

Young jazz vocalist and bandleader Charles Turner III—winner of the first-annual Duke Ellington Center for the Arts vocal competition, among other accolades—has quickly made his mark in the New York City jazz scene, playing regularly at Jazz at Lincoln Center's late-night dance sessions, Ginny's Supper Club, Smoke, and more. Turner slides effortlessly from crooning jazz melodies to hard swinging standards to down-and-out blues, all backed by a flawless rhythm and horn section. Rooted in the tradition of jazz, swing, and the blues, Charles Turner & Uptown Swing brings fresh new energy to the genre, celebrating the spirit of Harlem with vibrant swing and vital blues. There's no time like the present to hear from the new generation of swing ambassadors!

Wednesday, May 15

Dancing in the Streets: Motown with KD Browne

6pm: West Coast Swing Instruction

7pm: Live Dance Music with KD Browne

Slip on your dancing shoes and get ready for a night filled with classic grooves provided live by KD Browne. DaChonne Nicole has worked in entertainment for over a decade and is known best for her captivating vocals and energetic live performances. Whether songwriting, playwriting, or performing around the world, you can see the love, passion and dedication she pours into every note and every dynamic performance.

Thursday, May 16

Latin Festival: Charanga, Cuban Salsa, Cha Cha Cha, and Salsa Dura

6pm: Pachanga Instruction / 8:15pm: Salsa Instruction

7pm-10pm: Live Dance Music with La Charanga Pacha and Jimmy Bosch Salsa Masters

Cuban percussionist Miguelito “Pacha” Pozo arrived to the United States in 1958 at the age of three. Pacha soon took up percussion, focusing on the timbales. At the age of thirteen, he competed in a Tito Puente contest and earned 2nd place; soon after, Pacha began playing with bassist Glen Vargas in the band La Contraria in New York City. In 1976, Pacha began to play with New Jersey band Orquesta Realidad, then teamed up with flute extraordinaire Jose Antonio Fajardo in 1980. Pacha recorded live and in the studio with Fajardo Y Sus Estrellas until Fajardo's death in 2000. Pacha rejoined the band playing guiro in 2001 under the direction of Fajardo, Jr. Pacha has shared the stage with many greats in Latin music, including Tito Puente, Machito, Larry Harlow, Tipica '73, Orquesta Broadway, and many more during his long career.

Ambassador of Salsa Dura Jimmy Bosch is loved and respected by Salseros the world over and highly regarded for his ability to entertain an audience and keep the dancers dancing. As a bandleader with decades of experience, Bosch can turn the heat up at just the right moments. He is a leader, a passionate trombone soloist, a lead singer, a composer, and a dancer. Recorded on over 100 productions as a solo artist in his 45 year career, Bosch has collaborated with such greats as Ray Barretto, Ruben Blades. Eddie Palmieri, Manny Oquendo y Libre, Cachao, FANIA Allstars, and many more. He has traveled the globe performing live Salsa for audiences in over 40 countries. Bosch has the dance bug in him all his life, taking dance classes with Eddie Torres, Yamulee, Adolfo Indanochea, and many other dance instructors globally. He has his own style, mixing the old school and modern techniques, using his experience as a musician to express himself on the dancers floor.

About Curator Talia Castro-Pozo

Formerly “Peruvian Ballet Representative to the World,” Talía Castro-Pozo represented Peru in the most prestigious ballet competitions around the globe. Talía started dancing at the age of three, becoming the youngest soloist to join the National Ballet of Peru at age 14. After relocating to New York City to study at the prestigious School of American Ballet, she was able to expand her dance abilities by training in other forms of dance including, Contemporary, Modern, Jazz, Ballroom & Latin, among other styles. Talía graduated from the William Esper Studio, studied acting under Bill Esper, voice, and movement.

She is currently playing “Mona” for the Hulu limited mini series Fleishman Is in Trouble, where she is a recurring co-star alongside Jesse Eisenberg and Claire Danes. She has also choreographed for television, movies, and commercials, including the TV series The Godfather of Harlem. She starred in the movie Isn’t It Romantic as principal dancer, as well as Falling in Rhythm, Summer of Sam, and Tango Finish Off-Broadway, among others.

As a dance coach she has trained professional dancers in partner dancing including Broadway dancers for choreographer Christopher Gattelli. Talia has managed numerous iconic dance studios in NYC and has taught master classes at BDC, Lincoln Center, Columbia University, NYU to name a few. As spokesperson and guest artist, she has been featured on NBC’s The Today Show with Patrick Swayze, Tiki Barber, Marc Anthony, Pitbull, The New York Times, ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS, Univision, Telemundo, and celebrated as “The Woman of Salsa” by Latina Magazine. Talia is the face of hundreds of commercials and print campaigns in the U.S. and abroad, for companies such as: American Express, American Airlines, Discovery Channel, Expedia, Google, Yahoo, to name a few.

She is the producer of Latin Mondays at Taj, Sunset Salsa with Talia, Bryant Park Dance Party, and Midtown Dance. She is also a member of the International Dance Council, a Board Director of the Unspoken Smiles Foundation (which helps at-risk children develop healthy habits for life), and Board Member of Ballroom Basix USA, which provides school children physical, social, emotional, and cultural engagement through dance, serving more than 20,000 school children in over a hundred NYC schools.

​Photo credit: Ryan Muir