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
7pm: Live Dance Music with Gentleman Brawlers feat. Nkumu Katalay
Through a sonic blend of disco-based horn lines, sticky highlife guitar, and polyrhythms from West Africa, Trinidad, and Brazil, Brooklyn collective Gentleman Brawlers presents performances that are more than concerts, but electrifying experiences. Live shows ignite a community-based, improvisational energy; audience engagement is integral to the band’s identity. In studio, the band will often reimagine their songs through an experimental EDM lens. Whether the crowd is on the dance floor or pressing play, Gentleman Brawlers always delivers an exuberant, celebratory experience. Their core stage lineup includes Matt Walsh (keyboards, guitar, production), Becca Fox (vocals, synths, dance), Quincie Hydock (vocals, dance), Jeremy Warren (drums), Trevor Brown (bass), Tree Palmedo (trumpet) and Nick Marziani (saxophone).
Nkumu Katalay is an artist, orator, multi-instrumentalist, and social activist whose main objective is to promote humanity. Born in Kinshasa, the capital city of the DR. of Congo and he lives in NYC. Nkumu's vision highlights the contribution of Congolese cultures in modern world history. He is the founder of The "Life Long Project" Band, a musical group and a project which focuses on pushing the positive narrative of the Congolese culture via music and social-cultural and educational initiatives. He is also founder of the Afro Congolese Dance program and company. Afro Congolese Dance programs have weekly mental and physical dance activities throughout New York City, in schools, corporations, or cultural centers for all ages from children to adults and seniors.
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.
Wednesday, April 30 - Salsa's Greatest Hits
Thursday, May 1 - Motown "Dancing in the Streets"
Wednesday, May 7 - Bachata Tradicional and Merengue
Thursday, May 8 - Afrofusion Feat. Nkumu Katalay
Wednesday, May 14 - Brazillian Samba, Forro & Mais
Thursday, May 15 - Latin Festival (6pm - 10pm)
Salsa, Timba, Candombe, and Salsa Gorda
