Salsa at the Waterfront

It's rain or shine, and it starts at Noon on June 27th. Head down to the 58th Street Pier on 1st Avenue for lots of music and good times.

Jamming with the Drums: Indian and Egyptian Drumming, too

For the final workshop in the May series, get ready for some amazing drumming. In addition to the cultures represented in the previous evenings, Egyptian and Indian drumming will add their beats. Even if you've missed the other workshops, make sure to check out this one. Be at the Sunset Park Recreation Center from 6:15 to 7:30 PM for a great time.

Afro-Dominican and Haitian Dance at the Rec Center

Tomorrow night is the third installment of a month-long series of dance workshops from around the world at the Sunset Park Recreation Center. These are free and open to the public. Each workshop begins at 6:15 PM. This installment is Afro-Dominican and Haitian Dance.Click on the posters or the Friends of Sunset Park website for more information.

Korean Mask Dancing at the Rec Center

Tomorrow night continues the month-long series of dance workshops from around the world at the Sunset Park Recreation Center. These are free and open to the public. Each workshop begins at 6:15 PM. The second installment is Korean Mask Dancing and Drumming. See the poster below or the Friends of Sunset Park website for more information.

Free Drum and Dance Workshops at Rec Center

There's not a lot that's more energizing than good drumming and dancing. The Rec Center wants you to get drumming and dancing for free. Thursdays at 6 PM during May you can do just that thanks to the Brooklyn Arts Council and the Sunset Park Recreation Center.

May 7th will be Palestinian/Levantine Debka
May 14th is Korean Drumming and Dancing
May 21st is Afro-Dominican and Afro Puerto Rican night (will we see Bombayo again?)
May 28th is a Drum Jam.

Call 718 965 6533 for more information about these events.

Photos from Saturday's Celebrating Diversity Through Dance

Saturday's Diversity Celebration, sponsored by Young Dancers in Repertory, Friends of Sunset Park, and the Sunset Park Recreation Center, was a success despite the exceptional weather that kept many families from attending. The various dances represented many of the cultures found today in Sunset Park.

In addition to the dancing, informational booths were set-up to assist residents with dental health (Methodist Hospital's Pediatric Dental Clinic), HIV-AIDS education (Brooklyn AIDS task force), Fire Safety information, Immigration and New Arrival issues (New American Welcome Center/NYC Immigration Coalition), and other representatives from elected officials. There was also a strong showing from United Senior Citizens of Sunset Park.

Below, please excuse the poor quality of the photos. I know not to face the windows, but it was that or stand on top of the dozens of children watching from the side. I think they are just about in order of performance. I didn't get photos from the Polish Folklore Dance Troupe or the Quetzalcoatl group, so if anyone has them, please share!


From the Redhawk Native American Arts Council, we had some hula. She was lovely, and tried to teach a very shy-of-the-spotlight group a few moves. She performed a traditional Hula as well as a more Hollywood "sophisticated" Hula.
In the first of her many dances, Alexandra Bayeva performed a Russian dance which delighted the on-lookers with its fast beats.

The Chinese Planning Council had several dances with children and young adults. This was the first, and all the parents took out video recorders to get their kids on tape. It was very sweet.

Chrisafo Madimenos performed a couple of dances from the Mediterranean. The first was Spartan, I believe. And there was a traditional Greek dance that the children were taught. (No adults volunteered to learn.)
Again, Alexandra Bayeva performed. This second dance was a Ukrainian dance with lots of spinning and twirling.

A second dance by the Chinese Children's troup. They managed to synchronize, even with the littlest ones.
This was from a traditional Indian dance performed by a very energetic (and persistent) woman who really tried to get some adults to dance. She performed two different styles of Indian dances. She also taught a few moves to the participants.


The third performance by Alexandra Bayeva was a Gypsy dance. It was interesting to me because it was so different from the Gypsy dancing in Spain - none of the stomping and Flamenco style arm movements. It was more fluid and joyful rather than angry and sexual.

This is when I had to leave for a while. I missed the Polish and Mexican dances. I may have missed something else as well, so if anyone else attended and took photos, please add them to the Best View in Brooklyn photo pool!

The final group was BombaYo, a Puerto Rican BOMBA group that brought its own drums and instruments. I met these guys on their way up the hill to the Rec Center; they were incredibly friendly and warm. Their music and dancing reflected that attitude. You can see a youtube video at the link above.
This woman danced to the audience and the drummers with her scarf.
She was incredibly energetic and serious as a dancer.
This young lady also used a red scarf as a prop. All three dancers were lots of fun, and the audience loved it. A couple of people joined in to the performance as well.

Hopefully next year's celebration will have overcast, cool, damp weather so that more people can enjoy the dancers and getting to know their neighbors a bit more. Thank you to the people who worked so hard to put the event together!

Friends of Sunset Park, Our Rec Center, and Young Dancers in Repertory present Celebrating Diversity through Dance

Set this date aside for a good time: April 18th, 2009.

From Noon to 4 PM the Recreation Center will be awash in cultural celebration through dance. Check out the website for the event here. So far, the roster includes dancers from the following cultures: Mexican, Puerto Rican, Polish, Irish, Greek, Lebanese, and East Indian. I'm sure some of the Asian dancers will sign on soon. It would be great if the Norwegian Folkdance Society made an appearance.

Friends of Sunset Park, The Sunset Park Recreation Center, and Young Dancers in Repertory are bringing us this free event.

The day will include tabling by various area organizations, and the website has information on how to obtain a FREE area for tabling (informational, not sales!). The Girl and Boy Scouts, HealthPlus, and OBT are already showing up.

Norwegian and Levantine Dance Party in Bay Ridge

It's free! There will be food! You get to watch performances! You get to dance! What could be better? Perhaps an early dinner at Tanoreen? Well, that's up to you.

Especially if you attended one of the two dance classes offered in the last two weeks, make sure to attend the party where you can show off your new-found skills.

The party is this Saturday - January 24th from 7-9 PM at the Salaam Arabic Lutheran Church (345 Ovington). Take the R train to Bay Ridge Avenue, or the B37 on 3rd Avenue.

Check out the flyer for information about the sponsors.

Folk Feet on Fifth: Lebanese and Palestinian Debke Dance Class

This series, with the Young Dancers in Repertory, is free thanks to several sponsors. (See the flyer for a long list.) This dance class will feature Ramzi Ed-libi, Jad Lebbos, and Sheren Attal - as well as live percussion. That's always a good thing.

Thursday, January 22nd's dance class will be Lebanese and Palestinian Debke Dance. It is from 7-8:30 PM at the Salaam Arabic Lutheran Church located at 345 Ovington Avenue. Take the R to Bay Ridge Avenue or the B37 on 3rd Avenue.

Two days later is the Dance Party that lets you put your learned skills to work.

To register, or to obtain more information, call 347-702-7155.

Folk Feet on Fifth: Put on Your Dancing Shoes in Northern Bay Ridge

Folk Dancing! It's one of the best ways to keep warm in frigid weather. And it's FREE! You know I love free events. This free event is thanks to many sponsors. See the flyer for a long list.

Tomorrow evening, try out a Norwegian Folkdance Class with Paul Busse and the Norwegian Folkdancers Society. It's from 7-8:30 PM at the Salaam Arabic Lutheran Church. The church is on 345 Ovington Avenue (between 3rd and 4th Avenues). The closest train is the R train to Bay Ridge Avenue. For those unfamiliar with Bay Ridge numbers versus names, Ovington is basically 70th Street from 4th Avenue to the water. Bay Ridge Avenue is 69th Street. You can also take the threatened B37 bus on 3rd Avenue, if you prefer.

Upcoming events include January 22nd's Lebanese and Palestinian Debke Dance Class from 7-8:30 PM and January 24th's Norwegian and Levantine Dance/Hafla from 7-9 PM.

To register, or to obtain more information, call 347-702-7155.


Thanks to the Friends of Sunset Park for forwarding this!

What You See in Sunset Park: Modern, Traditional Dance

This is the same spot that had a group dancing a choreographed set of steps to Madonna's "Like a Prayer" just 15 minutes before. They had a banner, a mini-sound system, and lots of enthusiasm. Whenever they snapped their fans open, one of the dancers was a second behind. It made for a pretty cool echo-effect.

On the benches in front of the dancers sat three of the local drunkards taking in the scene. They seemed to be genuinely enjoying the show.

Dancing Through Sunset Park Tomorrow and Next Thursday

As mentioned in a post last week, there's another free event for the summer. These dance classes are aimed at children ages 5-15, but it's entertaining for younger kids as well. Come to the park tomorrow for informal ballet and modern dance lessons from 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM. They'll also be in Sunset Park on the 31st, same times.

Pre-registration is requested (mainly for large groups): 347 702 7155

They are also at Owl's Head Park on July 29th (a Tuesday) at 10:30 AM.

Thanks to Vanessa for the official information!

What You See in Sunset Park: Drumming and Ribbon Waving

Every morning you can see members of the Chinese community singing, waltzing, practicing sword-dancing, and exercising in Sunset Park. However, some days are more colorful than others. This morning was particularly interesting, as shown by the photos sent by Vanessa of veesvision.com. The ribbons are brighter than usual, and the drums don't come out everyday. Quite a visual treat.