Bryant Park Dance Party To Return in May With Dance Instruction & Live Music

A midtown tradition since 2014, Dance Party returns to Bryant Park this summer! Now entering into its ninth year, the beloved series offers park goers in-person dance events in a variety of styles throughout the first three weeks of May. Each of the six free programs of dance instruction, live music, and social dance are open to all to attend with no reservations or waiting list. Just walk up and join the party!

Two of this year's Dance Party dates will celebrate the premiere of exciting new projects: Jazz at Lincoln Center vocalist Charenée Wade debuts her new Band of Swing on May 11, and Santiago "Sachy" Moyano, son of salsa legend and FANIA recording artist Luis Moyano, Jr., debuts his new orchestra on May 18.

Events will take place every Wednesday and Thursday from May 3 to May 18. At each Dance Party event, attendees meet at the world-famous Bryant Park Fountain to learn basic steps with expert instructors from 6 to 7pm. Afterwards, participants can test out their new moves to live music performed by a diverse selection of bands from 7 to 8:30pm.

Dance Party makes dance fun and easy for all ages and ability levels with hands-on instruction in popular steps. Audiences will learn basic moves in styles like salsa and swing, bachata, salsa dura, and more. Bryant Park's stellar cast of instructors from around the globe bring with them a deep understanding of the traditions and innovations of their chosen specialties.

This year's Dance Party series showcases New York City's signature brand of salsa dura with La Excelencia (5/3); traditional Argentinian tango with Latin Grammy-winning bassist Pedro Giraudo (5/4); Andean Afro-cumbia with the 2022 Latin Grammy-nominated Afro-Andean Funk Ft. Araceli Poma and Matt Geraghty (5/10); Harlem-style Swing dance with Charenée Wade's Band of Swing (5/11); bachata tradicional with hometown hero Valerio (5/17); and a night of salsa's greatest hits with Santiago y la Orquesta (5/18).

Bryant Park Dance Party producer and host Talia Castro-Pozo says, "Communities of color in NYC that have taken the biggest hit from COVID are in real need of opportunity for spaces to meet and celebrate where everyone is invited and anyone can join in. That's exactly what the Bryant Park Dance Party was designed to offer. In curating this program, I have taken a great deal of effort to intentionally show the diversity of the city's sound and motion with representatives of Andean Afro-cumbia, Argentinian tango, traditional old school salsa dura, contemporary salsa, modern bachata, and Harlem swing. If you're a fan of any of those styles or just curious to learn more, Bryant Park will be the place for you this summer. We can't wait to welcome you back and to present the most exciting bands and dance instructors that the city can offer."

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.

2023 Bryant Park Dance Party

Performance Details

Wednesday, May 3

Salsa Dura (New York Salsa)

6pm: Dance Instruction with Marlon Mills and Talia Castro-Pozo

7pm: Live Dance Music with La Excelencia

Inspired by the salsa sounds of the 1970s and the sociopolitical landscape of today, La Excelencia is an award-winning band from New York City that combines traditional salsa elements with a modern and unapologetic sound. Their music invigorates social mindedness amidst a powerful and danceable soundtrack. "It takes just a note or two to hear that La Excelencia is different. This is rugged salsa dura, with the percussion cranked, lots of breaks, the voices loud, almost distorted. It's the sound of a tough working band, the sort that used to be everywhere in New York and now are rare to find," says Peter Watrous of The New York Times. Founded in 2005, La Excelencia honed their sound by performing at local venues around New York City; they caught the attention of the international salsa community with their 2006 debut album, Salsa Con Conciencia. The success of that album would result in the first of several international tours. The band would later release three more albums, Mi Tumbao Social (2009), Ecos Del Barrio (2012), and Machete (2020). La Excelencia's in-your-face sound and energetic, live performances reach outside of the salsa norm, and have propelled the band to mainstream audiences and venues. "I felt like I was at a rock show, not a salsa performance," commented Anthony Guerrero, a longtime fan. Under the leadership and direction of owner, Julian Silva, La Excelencia has enjoyed solid success, and continues to keep their sights on the future with a commitment to bringing voice to the next generation of salseros.

Thursday, May 4

Tango Argentino Tradicional

6pm: Dance Instruction with Mariana Parma and Leo Sardella

7pm: Live Dance Music with Pedro Giraudo

Latin Grammy Award-winning bassist and composer Pedro Giraudo is among the most compelling tango artists today. After two decades performing with the most important interpreters of tango, Pedro Giraudo debuted his own Tango Orchestra at Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night Swing in 2015; since, he has become an active cultural ambassador of this beautiful and passionate music of his native Argentina. His album Vigor Tanguero won a Latin Grammy Award for Best Tango Album in 2018. In 2014, he recorded bass on Ruben Blades' album Tangos, which won two Latin Grammy Awards (Best Tango Album and Best Latin Pop). Giraudo has collaborated with Pablo Ziegler, Paquito D'Rivera, and Dizzy Gillespie's protégé William Cepeda, and more. Giraudo has also collaborated as a performer and arranger for some of New York's most respected institutions, such as the New York Philharmonic and New York City Ballet Orchestra. As a composer and arranger, Giraudo leads his own jazz and tango ensembles and has been hailed by critics as one of the most creative and daring bandleaders on the scene today. His compositions combine his love of classical forms, Argentine tango and folk music, and the spontaneity of jazz improvisation. His albums include Impulso Tanguero (2021), An Argentinian in New York (2018), Vigor Tanguero (2018), Cuentos (2015), Córdoba (2011), El Viaje (2009), Desconsuelo (2005), and more.

Wednesday, May 10

Andean, Afro & Cumbia Party Extravaganza

6pm: Dance Instruction with Cynthia Paniagua

7pm: Live Dance Music with Afro-Andean Funk Ft. Araceli Poma and Matt Geraghty

Afro-Andean Funk is led by Peruvian singer Araceli Poma and bassist/composer Matt Geraghty merging the music, stories and traditions of Afro-Peruvian, Andean, funk and world music, with featured guest Haitian vocalist Manno Beats. Their debut album The Sacred Leaf was recently nominated for the 2022 Latin Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album, sharing the same category with Latin music greats Rosalia and Bomba Estereo. The nomination is also the first time in Latin Grammy history that Quechua, the native language of Araceli's grandmother and millions of indigenous people in South America, has been featured at the Latin Grammy Awards. A second album featuring all original compositions is planned for 2023.

Thursday, May 11

Swing Dance - The American Cultural Experience

6pm: Dance Instruction with Gaby Cook and AJ Howard

7pm: Live Dance Music with Charenée Wade's Band of Swing

Known for expert vocal improvisational ability and her seriously swinging groove, Brooklyn native Charenée Wade evokes a classic jazz sound akin to Betty Carter and Sarah Vaughan, two of her musical touchstones. With her Motéma debut, Offering: The Music of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson, she pays tribute to another inspiration, the socially conscious poet and musician Gil Scott-Heron, and confirms that she too plans to use her artist platform thoughtfully. The first full-length album tribute to Scott-Heron and his musical collaborator Brian Jackson by a woman artist, Offering is arresting in just how timely Scott-Heron's messages are today and how perfectly Wade delivers them through her savvy arrangements and intimate jazz interpretations. While she has earned many accolades - first runner-up in New York's Jazzmobile Vocal competition; a participant in Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead program; a feature on NPR's Song Travels; a starring role in the off-Broadway show Café Society and in Jazz at Lincoln Center's Salute to Betty Carter - she may surprise people with this authentic tour de force. Wade gives ample evidence on this remarkable debut as to why she is one of the most exciting, distinctive and bold young musical talents on the rise today. Wade has performed with Bobby Sanabria, Aaron Diehl, Oran Etkin, Robert Glasper and MacArthur Fellow and choreographer Kyle Abraham, among others, and at venues and festivals worldwide including Montreux and Spoleto. A singer, composer, arranger and educator, Wade is also a professor at the Aaron Copland School at Queens College and was just recently appointed to Peabody Institute.

Wednesday, May 17

Bachata Tradicional

6pm: Dance Instruction with Desiree Godsell

7pm: Live Dance Music with Valerio

Valerio is a bachata band from New York City. The brothers Joel and Mony sing, play guitar, and compose all of their music. Joel started playing guitar at the age of 15 and quickly realized his younger brother Mony had the same passion for music and was eager to learn. They were born and raised in Jamaica, Queens, and were heavily inspired by their father, who played piano, and older brother, Mariano, who played percussion. Joel and Mony mainly write romantic-style love songs, but they also have a funny side where they combine traditional bachata with humorous Spanglish lyrics. They've been performing professionally since 2006 and now are social media stars thanks to their hit song "I Don't Wanna Work."

Thursday, May 18

Greatest Salsa Hits of All-Time

6pm: Dance Instruction with Jorge Riascos

7pm: Live Dance Music with Santiago y la Orquesta

Colombian singer, composer, and musical director Santiago "Sachy" Moyano is a third generation musician - his grandfather Luis Moyano, Sr., was an internationally recognized "Great Tenor," and his father, Luis Moyano, Jr., was a pianist and vocalist who worked with some of the great Latin music orchestras, including touring with La Fania All-Stars in 1996. Sachy Moyano's versatility and originality has created a substantial demand for his music, and he has evolved into one of the most creative salsa singers in Colombia or across the Americas. Sachy Moyano is still working to produce new songs with a vision of reaching the souls of the Colombian and American communities. In 2022, he began his salsa band Santiago y la Orquesta, which is quickly becoming one of the most exciting Colombian salsa groups in New York City.

About Bryant Park Corporation

Bryant Park Corporation (BPC), a private not-for-profit company, was founded in 1980 to renovate, finance and operate Bryant Park in New York City. BPC is funded by income from events, concessions, and corporate sponsors, as well as an assessment on neighboring properties, and does not accept government or philanthropic monies. In addition to providing security, sanitation, and horticultural services, BPC offers restaurants, food kiosks, world-class restrooms, and a wide range of free events throughout the year. The Midtown Manhattan park is visited by more than 12 million people each year and is one of the busiest public spaces in the world. BPC's website, bryantpark.org, offers more detailed information and a schedule of upcoming events.

Follow Bryant Park

Website: https://bryantpark.org
Twitter: @bryantparknyc
Instagram: @bryantparknyc
Facebook: facebook.com/BryantParkNYC
YouTube: youtube.com/BryantParkNYC

Location and Subway Directions:
Bryant Park is situated behind the New York Public Library in midtown Manhattan, between 40th and 42nd Streets & Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Take the B, D, F, or M train to 42nd Street/Bryant Park; or, take the 7 train to 5th Avenue.

Photo Credit: Angelito Jusay