Dance Party: Bachata tradicional and contemporánea
Hosted and Produced by Talia Castro-Pozo
6pm: Bachata instruction
7pm: Live dance music with Liza + Willie
Liza + Willie are a NYC-based duo redefining the Tropical genre with their heartfelt songwriting and sophisticated sound. Meeting as teengaers in music class during high school in Queens, New York, the two became fast friends and creative partners. Their early work as part of local groups like Juventud and MW (Many Ways) led to a record deal with RFG Records/J&N Records and the release of Changing The World (2005). After pursuing individual paths for several years, Liza + Willie reunited in 2014 with a renewed commitment to their craft. They quickly gained traction with singles like “Culpables” and “Siempre,” followed by the hit “Perdón,” which has now surpassed 1M Spotify streams. Their collaboration with Grammy-nominated producer SP Polanco on “Catálogo De Amor” cemented their place as emerging voices in bachata, earning over 10M Spotify streams. In recent years, the duo has achieved major milestones, from releasing their first full-length album Once Upon A Time (2023) to performing at prestigious venues like Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub, and the Smithsonian Museum. With over 6M Spotify streams and 722K YouTube views, Liza + Willie have become known for their artistry, chemistry, and deep connection to the genre’s roots.
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 and Stout NYC.
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 & movement. She went on to study singing to strengthen her connection to her Peruvian Roots, currently singing Afro-Peruvian Jazz Music and continuing her music studies.
In 2022 Talia played “Mona” for the Hulu limited mini series “Fleishman is in Trouble”, as a recurring co-star alongside Jessie Eisenberg & Claire Danes (both nominated for best actors).
You can catch her choreography work in Season 3 of the TV series "The Godfather of Harlem". She has also choreographed for numerous independent films & TV commercials. She starred in the movie Isn’t Romantic as principal dancer, “Falling in Rhythm,” “Summer of Sam”, "Tango Finish” Off Broadway, TV series" Three Women" & "The Godfather of Harlem" Season 3.
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 continues to teach 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. Her biographical profile has been included in Who’s Who in America & Who’s Who in the World.
Talia continues to host healthy life style TV shows in Spanish & English and to record as a VO artist. She is mom to Elan (8) & Amaya (6). She is the producer of Latin Mondays celebrating 19 years, Sunset Salsa with Talia, Bryant Park Dance Party & Midtown Dance. Talia is a recipient of the 2025 “Mujeres Destacadas”, a recognition given annually by El Diario NY to the most outstanding women in our community. She is also a Board Member of Ballroom Basix USA providing 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 29
Salsa clásica
with Maria Raquel
Thursday, April 30
Motown, funk, and R&B
with L*A*W and The Planet 12 Movement
Wednesday, May 6
Brazilian samba, bossa nova, and forró
with Turma do Samba
Thursday, May 7
Swing dance and rock 'n' roll
with Danny Lipsitz and The Brass Tacks
Wednesday, May 13
Bachata tradicional and contemporánea
with Liza + Willie
Thursday, May 14
Cuban Salsa Festival (6pm-10pm)
Salsa, timba, and rumba
with Jose "Pepito" Gomez and La Royal Orquesta + César Orozco and SonAhead feat. Ariacne Trujillo, Gina D'Soto, and Ivan Llanes