Manhattan West in NYC to Present the Return of 'Gather Round' Free Dance and Music Series

Manhattan West will present the return of "Gather Round," a free outdoor dance and music series, in partnership with Works & Process and inspired by the competitions of the summer Olympics in Paris and the debut of breaking as an Olympic sport. The series of four free performances will take place at Manhattan West Plaza (385 9th Avenue in Midtown) and will feature a celebration of street and club dance battles every Wednesday in September from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

The performances give the public an opportunity to see breakers compete in Behind The Groove, an event hosted by legends Kwikstep and Rokafella, admire members of the Ballroom community as they walk the runway and vogue during the Gather Round Kiki Ball, cheer on competing Waack dancers as part of the Fabulous Waacking Festival Fall Edition with Princess Lockerooo, and witness NYC's top beatboxers go head-to-head with The Beatbox House.

This series exemplifies Works & Process' sustained commitment to street and social dance, featuring work previously commissioned for and presented in the Guggenheim Museum's rotunda and now brought to the Manhattan West Plaza event circle. The community is welcome to watch as top street and club dancers battle for glory and prizes.

Performance Schedule:

Behind The Groove: CeleBreak Outside! with Kwikstep and Rokafella

September 4, 4:30 p.m.

Since 2009, hip-hop legends Kwikstep and Rokafella have curated Behind the Groove, a party that invites the break-dancing community to freestyle to classic dance music while providing a space for them to jump into the dance cipher and show the skills they've honed. Regularly held at the Nuyorican Poets Café and now at Brooklyn's Bogart House, this outdoor version will include four breaking teams battling it out. The performance will captivate with the sounds of DJ KS360 and DP One, emceed by Rokafella.

Gather Round Kiki Ball

September 11, 4:30 p.m.

The community and competitive spirit of Ballroom Culture may be most known from the film Paris is Burning, this summer's hit musical Cats: The Jellicle Ball, or the TV series Pose and Legendary. The Gather Round Kiki Ball will celebrate LGBTQIA+ pride and the skills and style that have made Ballroom the cultural force it is today, featuring commentator Snookie Juicy West, DJ Byrell The Great, and legendary judges Omari "Oricci" Wiles, Courtney "Balenciaga" Washington and more. Categories for this demo ball will be Runway, Face, and Vogue, featuring some of NYC's best ball walkers.

Gather Round Kiki Ball is organized by Hype Kitty.

Fabulous Waacking Festival Fall Edition with Princess Lockerooo

September 18, 4:30 p.m.

Distinguishable by its rotational arm movements, posing and emphasis on expressiveness, Waacking brings together the glitz and glamor of Hollywood films, the vibrant energy of disco, and the colorful underground gay club culture of the '70s. An event organized by Princess Lockerooo, who is lauded by The New York Times as the "Queen of Waack," it will feature high-energy performances, dazzling costumes, and theatrical choreography honoring the roots and influences of Waacking. Top Waackers will go head-to-head in an epic showdown. Visitors are invited to dress to impress and join in the dancing at the end - after the show and battle, there will be an opportunity to get their disco fix, twirl, and let loose.

Manhattan West Beatbox Battle with The Beatbox House

September 25, 4:30 p.m.

New York City's top beatboxers will go head-to-head with their newest material in advance of the 2024 USA Beatbox Championships in Pittsburgh! The Beatbox House's monthly battle arrives at Manhattan West on the heels of the music group's world-spanning tour with the US State Department's American Music Abroad program. Kenny Urban, Gene Shinozaki, Neil Meadows (aka NaPoM), Amit Bhowmik, and Chris Celiz make up The Beatbox House, a collective that perfected their craft while living together in Brooklyn. From 2015-2018, they traveled to Europe and won the Grand Beatbox title, bringing beatbox glory back to NYC where it all started. (Fact: beatboxing started in the Bronx!)

More background on the Gather Round Street and Club Dance Battles at Manhattan West can be found at manhattanwestnyc.com.