Midsummer Night Swing Week One Begins 6/21

Midsummer Night Swing celebrates the dance bands and soloists who fill the dance floor. Happening in a specially designed, open-air ballroom in Damrosch Park (West 62nd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues) Tuesdays through Saturdays, June 21-July 9, Midsummer Night Swing kicks off with the Catherine Russell Septet. The Grammy Award-winning vocalist will pull from her vast repertoire of swing standards for the opening night concert.

Ismael Miranda, recognized as one of the best salsa music soneros of all time, takes the stage on June 22. Joe McGinty and The Loser's Lounge return to Midsummer Night Swing with an ebullient concert that will take audiences back in time to the glory days of disco for Thursday Night Fever on June 23. Influenced by the likes of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Ella Fitzgerald, the Mint Julep Jazz Band will have Damrosch Park jumping and jiving to the sounds of big band and swing on June 24. The Allen Toussaint Band with guest vocalists Irma Thomas, Cyril Neville, and Deacon John bring the sounds of New Orleans to New York with a joyful musical celebration of Allen Toussaint on June 25.

Midsummer Night Swing brings together people of all ages, at every skill level, and from diverse backgrounds for 15 evenings of social dance. Acclaimed bands will play as dancers Lindy hop, salsa, hustle, Charleston, tango, and more in a gorgeous, open-air ballroom in Damrosch Park (West 62nd Street, between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues).

Tickets: Multi-evening Midsummer Night Swing Passes are priced at $84 for six dances and $170 for the full season. Four-dance passes are available for $60. Tickets for individual evening events are $17. For $100, a group of four will receive the Dance Ambassador Package, which grants admission to the dance floor, free bag check for four, and one complimentary glass of wine or beer per guest.

Each evening of Midsummer Night Swing is a ticketed event. The night begins with a dance lesson at 6:30 pm for all skill levels with some of New York's foremost instructors. Lessons are included in the price of admission. Live music and dancing begins at 7:30 pm and lasts until 10:00 pm. Dancing continues until 11:30 pm on June 23 and July 2 for the Silent Discos.

The Swing box office is located in the lobby of David Geffen Hall at Broadway and 65th Street. Tickets for individual events and passes can be purchased in advance at the David Geffen Hall Box Office or beginning at 5:30 pm on the night of the event at a box office in Damrosch Park. All major credit cards will be accepted. Tickets and passes can also be purchased through CenterCharge, 212.721.6500, or at MidsummerNightSwing.org.

Rain Policy: Midsummer Night Swing makes every effort to present each event of the season, as long as unpredictable weather allows. Performance cancellations due to inclement weather will not be announced until 8:30 pm on show night. In the case of cancellation, ticketholders are entitled to exchange for another performance or a refund. Passholders are not entitled to a refund. If a performance has begun and is cancelled after 8:30 pm, exchanges or refunds are not offered.

Silent Discos: Following their success the past three seasons, there will be Silent Discos, powered by Quiet Events, on June 23 and July 2. At the Silent Discos, dancers are provided with wireless headphones to listen to extended DJ sets after the live music ends at 10:00 pm. While casual observers see a seemingly bizarre public ritual as dancers revel to the "silent" beats, the dancers are actually part of an exhilarating public/private dance party. On June 23, Bill Coleman, DJ Rimarkable, and Qool DJ Marv will spin different sets in each headphone channel, creating simultaneous and ever-shifting dance parties. Gaylord Fields, Connie T. Empress, and Monica Sharp will be spinning on July 2. Silent Discos will continue on the dance floor until 11:30 pm. Wireless headsets are free with that night's live show ticket, or $5 at the door for the Silent Disco only, subject to capacity.

The Schedule for Midsummer Night Swing Week One:

Tuesday, June 21 at 7:30 pm

Catherine Russell Septet Swing, Blues

With her honey-rich vocals, charismatic energy, and royal swing lineage-she's the daughter of Luis Russell, longtime director of Louis Armstrong's orchestra, and pioneering bassist Carline Ray-Catherine Russell reigns over the dance floor at this opening night strutter's ball. When Russell strikes up her seven-piece band, the finger-snapping is an involuntary reflex that soon gives way to a full-fledged party.

Lesson: Evita Arce and Michael Jagger teach Lindy Hop at 6:30 pm

DJ: Dawn Hampton

Wednesday, June 22 at 7:30 pm

Ismael Miranda Salsa

Dancers will feel the full force of classic salsa with one of the genre's most celebrated icons. Puerto Rico-born and East Village-raised, Ismael Miranda formed his first band at age 11 and joined the legendary Fania All Stars when he was just a teenager. Under the starry New York sky, "El Niño Bonito de la Salsa" will ignite the festivities like only he can with melodious vocals, irrepressible magnetism, and unwavering passion for the music.

Lesson: Carlos König teaches Salsa at 6:30 pm

DJ: DJ Broadway

Thursday, June 23 at 7:30 pm

Thursday Night Fever featuring Joe McGinty and The Loser's Lounge Disco

Audiences are invited to indulge their shiniest, sexiest disco fantasies with perennial favorites The Loser's Lounge in a weeknight tribute to the iconic movie that catapulted John Travolta and The Bee Gees to superstardom. Keyboardist and cover song king Joe McGinty leads his band, deemed a part of "essential New York" by Time Out, in everything from "Night Fever" to "Disco Inferno."

Lesson: Maria Torres teaches Hustle at 6:30 pm

DJ: Bill Coleman, Additional Silent Disco DJs: DJ Rimarkable and Qool DJ Marv

Silent Disco powered by Quiet Events at 10:00 pm

Friday, June 24 at 7:30 pm

Mint Julep Jazz Band 1930s Swing **New York City debut**

This North Carolina-based "little" big band's goal is to simply keep everyone on the dance floor. Specializing in the great swing tunes of the '30s, the eight-piece band has been tearing through the Lindy hop competition circuit, leaving masses of new fans in its wake. Sweet and refreshing with an intoxicating kick, the band makes its highly anticipated New York debut at Midsummer Night Swing.

Lesson: Lainey Silver teaches Balboa at 6:30 pm

DJ: DJ Va Va Voon

Saturday, June 25 at 7:30 pm

The Allen Toussaint Band New Orleans Rhythm & Blues

with guest vocalists Irma Thomas, Cyril Neville, and Deacon John

Midsummer Night Swing will pay special tribute to late music icon Allen Toussaint, "one of the master craftsmen of 20th-century American pop" (New York Times). The songwriter and producer behind hits like "Mother-in-Law" and "Working in the Coal Mine," Toussaint and his signature blend of soul, funk, and rhythm & blues defined the New Orleans sound of the '60s and '70s. Irma Thomas, "The Soul Queen of New Orleans" and one of Toussaint's most revered collaborators; vocalist and part of the legendary Neville Brothers dynasty, Cyril Neville; and New Orleans's most in-demand bandleader, Deacon John, join Toussaint's band to celebrate the extraordinary life-and irresistible hooks-of their lifelong friend by keeping the tunes hot and the dance floor packed.

Lesson: John and Shoshana Krieger-Joven teach Blues Dancing at 6:30 pm

DJ: Jonathan Toubin

Programs and artists subject to change.

Midsummer Night Swing 2016 is presented by NewYork-Presbyterian