Dance Party: Latin Festival
Dance Party returns to Bryant Park and celebrates its 11th anniversary season this summer! Dance Party events take place every Wednesday and Thursday from April 30 to May 15. At each event, attendees meet at the iconic Bryant Park fountain to learn basic steps with expert instructors at 6pm. Afterwards, participants can test out their new moves to live music performed by a diverse selection of bands from 7pm-8:30pm.
Hosted and Produced by Talia Castro-Pozo
Latin Festival Schedule
6pm-6:30pm: Dance Instruction with Jorge Riascos and Adoralynn Pagan
6:45pm-8pm: Live Dance Music with Sebastian Natal & The Orchestra
8:00pm-8:30pm: Dance Instruction with Sekou McMiller and Ahtoy Juliana WonPat-Borja
8:45pm-10pm: Live Dance Music with Flaco Navaja & The Razor Blades
Sebastian Natal Nuñez was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, on May 27, 1984. He began his musical career at the age of 10, participating as a pianist and percussionist, playing with legends of his native folklore. In 2008 he resides in New York City. His knowledge of musical instruments such as piano, bass, percussion, trumpet, trombone and singing; in combination with his great leadership as a music producer, allow his career to be nourished by other musical styles such as salsa, samba, tango, Afro-Peruvian music and Cuban music such as son and timba, accompanying many artists. Some on the list are: José Alberto el Canario, Ismael Miranda, Kambalache Negro, Roberto Blades, Luigy Texidor and Tirso Duarte. In his short but extensive career, Sebastian has recorded performances and tours with a variety of famous artists such as Conrad Herwig, Mayito Rivera, Pedrito Martinez among others.
Flaco Navaja is a poet, writer, singer, actor, and performer who was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. For 25 years he has established himself as a prominent voice of the Puerto Rican Diaspora and has graced acclaimed theater stages such as The Public Theater and Pregones/PRTT. As a singer, his vocals are featured on two Lin-Manuel Miranda productions: the WARRIORS musical album (alongside Marc Anthony & Luis Figueroa) and the Grammy-nominated soundtrack, ‘In The Heights – the movie’. Also, his voice can be heard singing the theme song for PBS kids animated show, ‘Alma’s Way’; but he really shines when he performs with his band, The Razor Blades, showcasing his own style of tropical/urban music where he combines spoken word with 70’s era ‘salsa gorda’ reminiscent of the Fania Records sound. He released his debut single, ‘Cantale a la Vida’ in 2023, and is releasing a new EP in late 2025.
Complimentary bag check is availible at Dance Party events. Our friendly staff can help store your belongings near our Petanque courts, just north of the Shop + Info booth.
Attendees can enjoy cuisine from the five boroughs with a rotating line-up of artisanal vendors curated by Hester Street Fair.
Stout NYC also offers giant pretzels, gourmet popcorn and other light bites as well as a selection of beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages for purchase.
Events are cancelled when it is unsafe to be outdoors, but may continue in light rain. Follow @bryantparknyc on Twitter and Instagram for day-of event updates.
Formerly “Peruvian Ballet Representative to the World,” Talía Castro-Pozo represented Peru in the most prestigious ballet competitions around the globe. Talía started dancing at the age of three, becoming the youngest soloist to join the National Ballet of Peru at age 14. After relocating to New York City to study at the prestigious School of American Ballet, she was able to expand her dance abilities by training in other forms of dance including, Contemporary, Modern, Jazz, Ballroom & Latin, among other styles. Talía graduated from the William Esper Studio, studied acting under Bill Esper, voice, and movement.
She is currently playing “Mona” for the Hulu limited mini series Fleishman Is in Trouble, where she is a recurring co-star alongside Jesse Eisenberg and Claire Danes. She has also choreographed for television, movies, and commercials, including the TV series The Godfather of Harlem. She starred in the movie Isn’t It Romantic as principal dancer, as well as Falling in Rhythm, Summer of Sam, and Tango Finish Off-Broadway, among others.
As a dance coach she has trained professional dancers in partner dancing including Broadway dancers for choreographer Christopher Gattelli. Talia has managed numerous iconic dance studios in NYC and has taught master classes at BDC, Lincoln Center, Columbia University, NYU to name a few. As spokesperson and guest artist, she has been featured on NBC’s The Today Show with Patrick Swayze, Tiki Barber, Marc Anthony, Pitbull, The New York Times, ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS, Univision, Telemundo, and celebrated as “The Woman of Salsa” by Latina Magazine. Talia is the face of hundreds of commercials and print campaigns in the U.S. and abroad, for companies such as: American Express, American Airlines, Discovery Channel, Expedia, Google, Yahoo, to name a few.
She is the producer of Latin Mondays at Taj, Sunset Salsa with Talia, Bryant Park Dance Party, and Midtown Dance. She is also a member of the International Dance Council, a Board Director of the Unspoken Smiles Foundation (which helps at-risk children develop healthy habits for life), and Board Member of Ballroom Basix USA, which provides school children physical, social, emotional, and cultural engagement through dance, serving more than 20,000 school children in over a hundred NYC schools.