Words by Mo Kelly Nolan, photography by Maurice Narcis

Dance Parade is back! Happy Sweet 16, Dance Parade! After a two-year plague hiatus, Dance Parade returned Saturday in all its glory. Hundreds of dance groups, over a thousand dancers, about 60 volunteers, even private security marked the beginning of what looks to be a hot, hot summer of neighborhood fun. New Yorkers were back to the street, expressing the joy of dance.

The parade began on Broadway and 21st St near the Flatiron building. They danced down Broadway to Tompkins Square Park jamming to the beat in both the street and motorized floats. Many dancers got to Tompkins Square Park, where most of the fun happening. After a brief rest, the MC, Donny, took the mic and began the show. That stage was a highlight for many groups that had organized stage performances. 

In the holding area, before the parade began, I met a disabled dancer, Sabrina Bennett. Curiosity and a cheerful aura caused me to interview her first. Sabrina has been a dancer with Heidi Latsky Dance for about 3 years now. She said of Heidi: “She broke down my walls, my inner vulnerability.” Sweet. Heidi Latsky Dance is a performance company of disabled, abled, and dancers of all ages. Go to their website if you’re interested in this fascinating enterprise (HeidiLatskyDance.org). They are original, inventive and truly collaborative. 

Also part of Heidi Latsky Dance was Jillian Hollis, an able-bodied dancer. I was sure I’d seen her before. A fabulous and inventive performer, Jillian has been an integral part of NYC’s burlesque scene for many years. These artists perform burlesque acts with costumes and themes. Their performance dance pieces stimulate your mind, not just your little brain down below. Long ago, I was bedazzled by the artists at the Blue Angel, a burlesque/strip club, wildly popular before the Giuliani crackdown. Post Giuliani, the one club I saw was boring in comparison. Were the girls even dancing? I hear some fun is to be had at the newer ones. So, no shade. Comment on your fave new club. Meanwhile, I’d recommend The Slipper Room on Orchard Street as a good place to start your burlesque adventures. Visual artists are always welcome to draw the shows. Beautiful lighting, pumping beats and always an MC/comic to keep their shows blazing.

I must mention one of the vendors along the parade route, set up in Union Square. She’s a hilarious woman with pussy products for sale. Pussy shaped glass ashtrays and fruit bowls, even her own all-natural pussy spray. I had to stop myself from getting the pussy spray.
We got to Tompkins Square Park and found seats by the stage prepared for the event. 

The first person to be introduced was a well known reporter from NY1, Roger Craig. Mentioning the old cabaret laws which inspired Dance Parade, he began the show with a short talk about his love for the art of dance. I also got to speak with Donny, the MC, a comic and dancer who rocked the mic and kept the stage performances moving. He has been a part of Dance Parade since 2003. He said the first Dance Parade ended in Washington Square Park. Since that first event, Dance Parade has been going to Tompkins Square Park. I briefly spoke to Brian Austin, the creative director, who, as you might imagine, was kinda busy!

I asked Donny about the Dance Liberation Front that protested the cabaret laws prior to Dance Parade. There seems to be no real connection, except perhaps DLF was an inspiration. In essence, a change occurred from a leaderless “march” to a “parade” which he explained helped the group get permits and a police escort. “A parade is not a protest,” he said by way of smoothing the wheels of the now yearly event. This change also helped get the word out, citywide. Numerous dance companies, individual dancers and artist collectives make for an ever-growing parade.

The first company to take the park stage was Ballet Hispanico, a dedicated company with choreographed dances. Clapping flip-flops figured prominently in their first performance. I could not stop clapping. Showcasing their school, dancers of every level took the stage. They would pirouette in a graceful lyrical style and even added a bit of classical ballet to the mix. No exciting costumes but the heart and the momentum of some difficult moves was a joy to watch. You go, Ballet Hispanico.

The next group was from Brighton Beach, doing Russian and Ukrainian folk dance in culturally appropriate costumes. That is what we came to see. Killing it. The visuals, the cheers, engaging the audience to clap. Before long folks began dancing along. This reminded us all that New York is a cultural paradise. You want dancers from Russia? Check. You want intense contemporary American lyrical? NYC has you covered.

One of the first floats to get to the Park was the famous (to NYers) yet still sorta underground, House of Yes. (HouseOfYes.org) The House of Yes is a Bushwick performance party space; musicians, innumerable performance artists, comedians, dancers, lovers of fun have been rocking that space for decades. The House of Yes is a space to get your groove on. They were one of the first groups to kick off from the starting point in Flatiron. And yes: The House of Yes is back!

I met four fabulous-looking costumed dancers who danced with The House of Yes on their motorized float. They call themselves Women on Wheels aka WOW. These Burning Man veterans are affiliated with many local groups including Junxion and Kostume Kult (no surprise there). Kostume Kult, itself, is now a cultural institution, with Burning Man credentials. Kostume Kult is a huge influence on the NYC performance art scene. Dancers Heather Morowitz, Miranda Rovelto, Jennifer Drue (also a Kundalini yoga instructor) and Melissa Vento all met at The House of Yes, became friends and collaborators and now make art together. They all had four-wheeled old-skool rollerskates. They dance wherever and whenever they can get together and make it happen. And when they decide to perform, they have the costumes, the props, the skates, and all the gear to “make the scene” wherever they go. I was enchanted by their optics and spoke to them during their brief rest in the park.

I love the experience of dance. It’s an incredible art form that takes so much effort and so much love. Can you dance without joy? You can dance without music, sure, but joy abounds in every move. Dance Parade is for everyone. The love of dance is the only requirement. The beauty of the art of dance is its infectious nature. If you missed it this year, follow Dance Parade’s official instagram (@danceparadenyc) and get your groove on next year. Because New York City is ready to party again.