STEPS! Dance Parade New York's Official E-Newsletter
        April 27, 2017 Edition
Inside this Issue:
 

Share the Love of Dance!
@danceparadenyc
#danceparadenyc
#danceforpeace
 
Download, Print & Post the Official Poster:
 
 
 
 
Dance Quote:
 
 ““Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance.”
-- Oprah Winfrey

 
 

Team
Non Profit Board of Directors:
Erik Bryan Slavin (Chair)
Nicola Creary
Valerie Feit
Jerry Goldman
Mahayana Landowne
David Leventhal
Greg Miller
Philip Ribolow
 
Steering Commitee:
Greg Miller, Executive Director
Jenny Boissiere, Parade Production
Celia Kutcher, Parade Production
Carlye Eckert, Education
Valerie Feit, Education
John Dalton, Sponsorship
Michelle DeBlasi, Marketing
Martha Ma, Marketing
Jamila Holman, Festival Production
DJ McDonald, Curatorial
Mark Schmidt, Curatorial
Hal Lamster, Web
Donnie D'Amato, Web
Howard Gibbs-Hobgood, Volunteer Coordination
Jessii Parham, Volunteer Coordination
Rebecca Myles, Media
Bianca Rodriguez, Finance Director
Natalya Grigoriev, Finance
Brian Austin, Creative
Jason Parrish, Creative
Chauncey Dandridge, Social Media
Xi Zhu, China Committee
 
Honorary Committee:
(Power Team & Grand Marshals)
Maurice Hines
Frankie Bones
Mestre Joao Grande
Rosie Mendez
Garth Fagan
Kwikstep
Rokafella
Carmen de Lavallade
Robert Battle
Mary Verdi-Fletcher
Rekha Malhotra
Savion Glover
Jawolle Willa Jo Zollar
Hex Hector
Jacqulyn Buglisi
Baba Chuck Davis
Louie Vega
Ashley Tuttle
Elisa Monte
Bill Shannon
Trevor Hochman
Peter Zehren
Samir Bitar
Mel Alvarez
Jonathan Peters
Charles Reinhart
“Billy Elliot” (Joseph Harrington)
Kat Wildish
Amy Marshall
Jellybean Benitez
Elizabeth Zimmer
Ellenore Scott
Don Campbell "Campbellock"
Morocco (Carolina Varga Dinicu)
Luis Salgado
Luigi
Kool Herc
Danny Tenaglia
Djoniba Mouflet

Advisory Board:
Jeanne Fleming
David Katz
Teddie Kern
Anil Kumar
Joseph McElroy
Fred Shequine
Tasha Blank
 
Sponsorship Team:
Greg Miller
John Dalton
Nikki Creary
Phil Ribolow
 
Parade Production:
Jenny Bossiere (Co Lead)
Celia Kutcher (Co Lead) 
Cristin Lafata
Grace Marinao
Jenn Converse
Erik Bryan Slavin
Gabriel Kutik
John Dalton
Dan Rosenstark
Daniel Kahn
Disco Mike Park
Bobby Speakerwire
Wandalynn Miftahi
Cheryl Gant
Phil Ribolow
Mekeshia Brown
Marjorie Liebman
Wandalynn Miftahi
Peter Vassilatos
Ollie Chase
Tim Golding
Jerry Goldman
Akil Davis
Alia Kubicek
Diane Dejesus
Claudia Lazo
Freddy Cosmo
J-Royce Jata
Alia Kubicek
Michael Fry
Rhina Valentin
Sharon Colchamino
Tatianna Bisono
Jamee Schleifer
Beatriz Cardo
Dayana Guerrero
Angelica
Doris Martinez
Michael Witt
Miriam Ross
 
Festival Production:
Jamila Holman (Chair)
DJ McDonald (Curatorial Chair)
Mark Schmidt (Curatorial Vice-Chair)
DJ Sweat
Shiela Jamison
Ben Vazquez
Ameca Holman
Bianca Rodriquez
Mango
Norman
Donnie D'Amato (Emcee, Main)
Shireen Dickson (Emcee, Family)
 
Educational Outreach
Carlye Eckert (Chair)
Valerie Feit
Caryn Cooper
Shireen Dickson
Leslie Pieters
Jamee Schliefer

Finance:
Bianca Rodriguez (Chair)
Natalya Grigoriev
Elizabeth Zaklama

Legal:
Victoria Behr
Carmen Casado
Jerry Goldman
David Leventhal
Paul Llewellyn
Kaye Scholer LLP

Marketing:
Greg Miller
Brian Austin
Jason Parrish
Hal Lamster
Martha Ma
Sarah McGlaughlin
Amanda Alston
Luis Vargas
 
Media & Promotions Team:
Rebecca Myles
Teresa Bigelow
Chauncey Danridge
Michelle Deblassi
Kevin Farley
Shiela Jamison
 
Special thanks:
·New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio
·NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo
·Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer
·City Council Member Rosie Mendez
·NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl, Deputy Commissioner Eddie Torres, Assistant Commissioner Kathleen Hughes and Program Officer Stephanie La Froscia
·Community Boards 2 and 3
·NYC & Co Foundation
·NYPD Lt Christopher Cheng and Sgt Patrick McGuire
·NYC Department for the Aging
·New York State Council on the Arts
·Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
·NYC Parks & Recreation Director Claudia Pepe, District Supervisor Terese Flores, Deputy Director Venus Melo and Kevin McClain (Citywide)
·NYC Dept of Sanitation Superintendent Thomas Lincoln
·NYC Dept of Transportation Event Coordinators Michael Callery, Ivory Henderson-Robb and G.I.S. / Events Coordinator Shuan Bruney
 
Dance Parade
graciously acknowledges
our 2017 Sponsors and Partners:

 
   
 
 

 
 
 
 
Interested to sponsor
2017? Contact greg"at"danceparade.org
for more information!
Friends,
 
We all know that walls create barriers, and immigration raids cause fear and chaos, traits we at Dance Parade seek to cast aside in just over three weeks with our annual Parade and Festival. That’s when thousands of dancers, from all strata of global culture, merge, mingle and move as one dance loving, peace loving family for a free, six hour celebration of dance in all its many forms.

We are pleased to announce our four Grand Marshals this year: Mestre João Grande, Maurice Hines, Frankie Bones and City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez who will kick off the parade with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 12:45 at 21st & Broadway launching this year's theme "Dance for Peace"
 
The Grand Marshals will kick things off with a special ribbon cutting ceremony at 12:45pm on 21st & Broadway that celebrates our theme "Dance For Peace".  Then, Dances of Universal Peace will lead the parade out with sacred music, dance and symbols from throughout the world and throughout history.
 
Will you be one of the jubliant 10,000 dancers that get to dance with us all down Broadway? There's still time to register.
 
Let's do this-- Read on to particpate and catch up on what's happening with this historical movement!

 
Greg Miller
Executive Director
Dance Parade, Inc.


 
 
Registration DEADLINES Approaching!
This is your invitation to join thousands of dancers as we explode down Broadway in the heart of Manhattan, sashay through Union Square and leap across Saint Mark's Place. Once again our goal is to exceed 80 unique styles of dance and to be the world's largest display of cultural diversity. The theme "Dance for Peace" sets a positive and joyous tone as we come together through our common passion for dance.
 
Never-seen-before dance genres and choreography that highlight the human experience -- everything from Ballet to Breakdance, Two-step to Dub-Step, and African to Zydeco--all in dazzling outfits, with live bands, djs and decorated floats.
 
Do you belong to a Modern dance company, Contra group, Salsa group, Ballet School or are an EDM DJ?  Registering as a parade group is just $50 to move and groove before 75,000 live audience members and to be eligible for our Community Engagement programs in which we hire performaning groups and teaching artists throughout the year.
 
Participation with vehicles to transport your sound will be limited to 70 this year. Update your registration by April 30th. Ten Floats with advertising are arranged through our float committee. Reach out to John@DanceParade.Org to reserve a float while supplies last!
 
Have you registered a dance group but haven't been able to attend our Parade Group Coordinator meetings? Watch this video about logistics.  Your participant guide will also be emailed to you by May 7th.
 
There is NO FEE for individual dancers. All individual dancers with or without a dance group MUST register here.
 
Are you joining us from out of town? Save up to 55% on rooms via Dance Parade's exclusive offer on Hotel Engine!
  
 

  "Dance For Peace"
 
Emcee Jerry Goldman

Photo Credit: Bob Dea

 
Photo Credit: Richard Renda
 
 
Click here to book discounted rooms!
 
 
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: Xi Zhu, a Beautiful Balerina from China

 
In each issue of STEPS, we feature one of our awesome volunteers. This time we shine our spotlight on Xi Zhu!
 
How did you first find out about Dance Parade?  
I was introduced by John Dalton, Managing Director of Dance Parade at the DanceNYC Symposium this past March. Since I am an enthusiastic dance fan, the idea that people dance and celebrate together in the streets annually at the culture and art hub: New York City fascinated me.
 
What is your current role in Dance Parade, Inc.? 
My current role in Dance Parade, Inc. is Chair of China Committee. I was astonished to find that due to language and culture barriers, Chinese dance groups have much less engagement with this event as compared to other communities in New York, even though many of them have long histories and have made great contributions to the art and education among the Chinese here. Hence I established China Committee to promote this event to Chinese dancers and dance groups in New York, for the hope that the speedy growing Chinese dance groups will merge into the diversity of dance in the city, and in return, enrich themselves by sharing and learning from other art forms and cultures.
 
What is your favorite style of dance to watch? To participate in? 
My favorite dance style to watch is ballet. Watching classical ballet in a theater is full of sensational enjoyments, from spectacles, orchestra, to the customs and dance itself. My favorite style to participate is the more social and expressive Latin dance. Among which the emotional Rumba and passionate Cha Cha are on top of my list.
 
 

Mark your calendars, for the ALL HANDS Meeting May 7th!
In order to plan on 20,000 moving and grooving feet in the parade, we need lots of hands (personell).  Volunteers get a cool Dance For Peace T-shirt and a pass to the Pizza party afterwards, along with legendary DJ Frankie Bones.  To share in the glory of making the parade and festival happen, apply with the brief volunteer form here!
 
 
 

Official AFTER PARTY at the New NUBLU:
 

 

Our Charitable work to ENGAGE COMMUNITY
2017 Dance Programs:
We employ Teaching Artists at our programs in all five boroughs of New York City. Each program ends with participation in the May 20th 2017 Parade and Festival!
 
Ageless Action: 
Serving older Americans through the joy and movement of dance.  

Community Kinect:
Using dance to instill a lifelong enthusiasm for physical fitness.
 
Cultural Residencies: Multi-week residencies focusing on culturally specific dance forms.
 
 

 
If your school, community or senior center is interested in one of our popular education programs for the Winter or Spring, contact carlye@danceparade.org or click here for our Community Engagement brochure.
 

 PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST Announced!
Each year Dance Parade attracts hundreds of photographers to capture the magic found when 80 unique styles of dance and cultures are all presented together. They love the energy, movement and color found among ancient cultures and highly ambitious artists!
 

 

SUPPORT our Mission and Why We Dance
  Our Mission is to promote dance as an expressive and unifying art form by showcasing all forms of dance, educating the general public about the opportunities to experience dance, and celebrating diversity of dance in New York City by sponsoring a yearly city-wide dance parade and dance festival.
 
Dance Parade really needs your support and any help you can give us is appreciated. At Dance Parade, we are grateful for every tax deductible donation no matter how small.   

Here's how to donate:
  · Make check payable to “Dance Parade” and mail to 789 Westminster Road, 1st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11230
  · Click on the Donate button from danceparade.org and pay by credit card (PayPal account not needed)
 

Photo Credit: Peter Cai

166 Groups registered so far for 5/2017 presenting 68 unique styles of dance!  Click here to see a list of registered groups so far.

Click here to see a list of registered groups so far.

Dance Parade New York is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization               DanceParade.Org