HISTORY

Dance Parade was founded in reaction to a 2006 NY State Supreme Court ruling that upheld the 1926 NYC Cabaret Law, denying social dance as expressive activity under the first amendment. In 2017, our advocacy led to the successful repeal of the law’s 91-year suppression of dance and culture.

DP's unique contribution to the field stems from its ability to present dancers and choreography across one hundred unique traditions and disciplines, contributing to the dance ecology of NYC and beyond. Participating artists use DP as a way to reach broader audiences, preserve cultural heritage and to foster collaborations. The annual event is recognized as the most diverse display of dance culture worldwide and reaches an audience of over 150,000 each year.

Since 2008, the Dance Parade organization has tapped its pool of diverse multi-cultural talent to provide Community Engagement Programs to further its mission by sharing the joy of dance with historically under represented communities along with the city-wide dance community. Throughout the year, Workshop demonstrations and residencies are provided to youth in schools and recreation centers and for older New Yorkers in senior centers.

In 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic called for isolation and social distancing, the parade, festival and education programs were quickly brought to serve an online audience.  A "Dare to Dance" video contest distributed cash prizes and attracked tens of thousands of dancers and dance enthusiasts from 91 countries around the world.

In 2021, Dance Parade teamed up with 3 time Grammy Winner, Mickela Mallozzi, and NYC Life TV to produce a feature length documentary, "The Resilience of Dance Through the Pandemic" about the stories and performances of the dance community during the pandemic. 

2022 saw the triiumphant return of the dance community with a record breaking Parade and Festival with an audience of over 120,000 who came out to see 150 organizations showcase over 100 unique styles of dance in an epic parade and five stage festival under the theme, "Back to the Streets!"

"Beyond the Zone" will be the theme for the 17th Annual Dance Parade and Festival set for May 20, 2023 which circles back to the organization's advocacy roots to work with the New York City Department of Planning, the Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment's Office of Nightlife in Mayor Adam's City of Yes Campaign. (for more info see our February 1, 2023 Press Release here).

Recent Programmatic History

FY2023 (July 2022 to June 2023)

FY2022 (July 2021 to June 2022)

Fiscal Year 2021 (July 2020 to June 2021)

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ACTIVITY DATES LOCATION DANCE ORGANIZATIONS & STYLES PARTICIPANTS
Open Virtual Classes

4/7/20 - 5/22/21

 Presented on Zoom due to COVID-19 The Joy of Salsa (Marlon Mills)

16
Open Virtual Classes

4/7/20 - 5/22/21

 Presented on Zoom due to COVID-19 AfroBeats Caribbean (Sifa Rachid/Movement Graffiti)

5
Open Virtual Classes

4/7/20 - 5/22/21

 Presented on Zoom due to COVID-19 (in partnership w/ Stonewall Village NYC virtual community) Moving For Life Somatic Movement (Tom Sullivan)

12
Cultural Residency

1/12/21- 3/23/21

 NYC iSchool, 131 6th Ave. New York, NY 10013 District 2; Presented on Zoom due to COVID-19 Traditional Indian Dance (Ajna Dance Company)

12
Cultural Residency

1/15/21- 3/19/21

 NYC iSchool, 131 6th Ave. New York, NY 10013 District 2; Presented on Zoom due to COVID-19 Afro Caribbean (Sifa Rachid / Movement Graffiti)

11
Ageless Action

2/2/21 - 5/22/21

 Fort Hamilton Senior Recreation Center, District 43; Presented on Zoom due to COVID-19 The Joy of Salsa (Marlon Mills)

13
Ageless Action

2/17/21 - 5/22/21

 Stonewall Village NYC online community www.stonewallvillagenyc.org Moving For Life Dance Exercise (Tom Sullivan)

8
Cultural Residency

2/23/21 - 5/22/21

 P.S. 86K The Irvington School, 220 Irving Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11237; District 32; Presented on Zoom due to COVID-19 Mexican Folk Dance (Mazarte Dance Company)

10
Language Access

3/3/21 - 5/22/21

 Presented on Zoom due to COVID-19 Classical Chinese Dance (Eva Lu/Red Dance Studio), taught in Mandarin Chinese

120
Cultural Residency

3/22/21 - 5/22/21

 P.S. X114 Luis Llorens Torres School, 1155 Cromwell Ave. Bronx, NY 10452; District 9; Presented on Zoom due to COVID-19 Afro Brazilian Dance (Funmilayo Chesney)

25
Cultural Residency

3/10/21 - 5/22/21

 P.S. 112Q Dutch Kills School, 25-05 37th Ave. Queens, NY 11101; District 30; Presented on Zoom due to COVID-19 World Hip Hop (Reaction Dance Company)

25
Cultural Residency

3/10/21 - 5/22/21

 I.S. 347, School of Humanities, 35 Starr St. Brooklyn, NY 11221; District 34; Presented on Zoom due to COVID-19 Salsa (Marlon Mills)

13
Language Access

3/26/21 - 5/22/21

 Presented on Zoom due to COVID-19 Mexican Carnival (Mazarte Dance Company), taught in Spanish

6
Language Access

3/27/21 - 5/22/21

 Presented on Zoom due to COVID-19 Ballroom (RuDanceNY), taught in Mandarin

23
Language Access

3/27/21 - 5/22/21

 Presented on Zoom due to COVID-19 Japanese Yosakoi (10tecomai), taught in Japanese

7
Open Classes (in-person)

4/11/21 - 5/22/21

 Sunny Sundays at Fort Greene Park Brooklyn, NY African Congolese Dance (Funmilayo Chesney/ Fusha Dance Company)

45
Cultural Residency

4/19/21 - 6/21/21

 NYC iSchool, 131 6th Ave. New York, NY 10013; District 2; Presented on Zoom due to COVID-19 Kpop (MJ Choi/I Love Dance)

11
Cultural Residency

4/23/21 - 6/18/21

 NYC iSchool, 131 6th Ave. New York, NY 10013; District 2; Presented on Zoom due to COVID-19 Salsa (Marlon Mills)

9
Public Event

5/22/21

 15th Annual Dance Parade & Festival: “Dance Brings Us Together”   Presented on Zoom with 5 breakout rooms (online interactive multi-stage festival) Grand Marshals: H.T. Chen & Dian Dong/Chen Dance Center; Virginia Johnson/Dance Theatre of Harlem and Lisa Lisa / Pop-Music legend

Emcees: Shireen Dickson, Jamila Holman, Carlye Eckert, Red Hayes/Dance Battles

Portions of the DP film “Resilience of Dance Through the Pandemic” with 15 videos from top-tier dance companies and teaching artists.

28 additional performances & interviews including Tribute to NDI Founder Jacques D'Amboise

14 Classes::Carribean w/Laci Chisholm, Contemporary & Improv w/Teresa Fellion, Latin Boogaloo w/Amanda Cardona, Bollywood w/Punchali Kumar, Dance from Around The World w/Funmilayo Chesney, Kids Breaking League, Saung Budaya Indonesian w/Amalia Suryani, Somatic Movement w/Tom Sullivan, Mazarte Mexican Dance, Reaction Dance Co/Kpop, Fusha Dance Co/Afro-Brazilian, 10tecomai /Japanese Yosakoi, Joy of Salsa w/Marlon Mills

39,678 from 91 countries
Public Event

6/10/21 & 2 additional dates in FY22

 World Premier: Dance Parade’s Dance Film, “Dance Brings Us Together” - Resilience of Dance Through the Pandemic” - Presented on NYC Life Channel TV (local television) to kick of NYC Dance Week: https://youtu.be/RSzSnCuS5ko Performances by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dance Rising, National Dance Institute, Heidi Latsky Dance, DrumatiX, Alison Cook Beatty Dance,  Saung Budaya Indonesian, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alison Cook Beatty Dance, Dancing Wheels, Moksha Arts, NY Chinese Cultural Arts Ctr, DrumatiX, Urban Bush Women & Buglisi Dance Theatre; Interviews by Matthew Rushing, Ellen Weinstein, Melissa Ryker, Heidi Latsky, Amalia Suryani, Fumilayo Chesney, Ying Yen, Jerry Goldman, Alison Cook-Beatty, Noa Barankin, Courtney J. Cook and Henya Emmer

100,000+ via TV & online
Public Event

6/11/21

 ”Grand Stand Show” - Presented on Zoom due to COVID-19 Emcee Jamila Holman presents curated video performances and interviews Artistic Directors from: Arcadia, Ocampo Wang Dance, Moments in Motion, Artistic Edge Dance Company, IFE The Movement, Long Island City School of Ballet, Passion Dance Center, S|R|P|Z, Brooklyn Center of the Arts, Julia Foti, Caitlin Knowles, Jiali Wang, Puela Lunaris, Monét Movement Productions, MiYoung Margolis, So-Hwa, Lori Belilove & The Isadora Duncan Dance Company, The Mo.vement Dance Co, Animus Movement, Soul Dance Co,, Sam Lobel, Moving for Life; Full premier of Dance Parade’s 1-hr film “Resilience of Dance Through the Pandemic” with Q&A moderated by DJ McDonald with Alvin Ailey film maker Yusha Marie Sorzano, Heidi Latsky, Jacquyln Buglisi and Amalia Suryani (Saung Budaya)

Fiscal Year 2020 (July 2019 to June 2020)

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