Summer Dance Lineup Unveiled At The Plaza At 300 Ashland

Downtown Brooklyn Partnership (DBP) has announced a lineup of dance performances and workshops at The Plaza at 300 Ashland. This summer, The Plaza will host the popular dance and fitness series Movement Mondays, the Emmy Award-winning PBS show Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi, and a series of dance parties to celebrate hip-hop's 50th Anniversary, reflecting Brooklyn's rich cultural fabric while bringing Downtown Brooklyn residents and New Yorkers together as a community.

“We are excited to announce a 2023 summer calendar that will offer our community countless ways to come out and enjoy our public spaces,” said Regina Myer, President of Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. “This year, Downtown Brooklyn Presents will transform The Plaza at 300 Ashland with a vibrant lineup of events, from dance classes to celebrations honoring the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. We can't wait to welcome Brooklynites, New Yorkers and visitors for a summer of fun, fitness, and entertainment outside.”

“We're thrilled to see The Plaza at 300 Ashland activated with dance,” said Kate Gavriel, Director of Cultural Affairs at Two Trees Management. “Located in the heart of the Brooklyn Cultural District, this site is perfect for performance and celebration.” 

Every week this summer, The Plaza will host the energetic dance series Movement Mondays for fitness enthusiasts and dancers of all abilities. Starting in June, Mark Morris Dance Group will kick off the series with a dedication to 50 years of hip-hop with Danielle Criss, Jillian Amadi Roberts and the incomparable Kim Holmes, who will demonstrate and teach the foundations of the iconic movements that have kept hip-hop thriving for the last five decades. In July, Quenia Ribeiro will share her percussive Samba Roots series and in August, Brukwine and Wukkout will bring the syncopated vibes of the Caribbean to The Plaza. 

This June, Emmy Award-winning host and producer Mickela Mallozzi of the PBS show Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi returns with her favorite dances to Downtown Brooklyn for DTBK Presents: Bare Feet Downtown Brooklyn. This live cultural journey through music and dance commences with Thunderbird Native American Indian Dancers, a tribute to Brooklyn's indigenous history. The series will also salute Pride Month through the Art of Voguing with the legendary Cesar Valentino and hip-hop's 50th anniversary with the extraordinary Ladies of Hip-Hop. Everyone is welcome to take part in this fun series, from seasoned pros to first-time dancers. 

Finally, dance parties return on the last Friday of July and August. In July, DJ Spinna will present “Flavors” in honor of 50 years of hip-hop and in August, Brooklyn darlings Soul Summit Music will return to DJ a dance experience like no other.

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN PRESENTS: SUMMER CALENDAR 2023

THE PLAZA AT 300 ASHLAND

Movement Mondays with Mark Morris Dance Group's Roots of Hip-Hop

 

 

Mondays, June 5, 12 and 26 | 6PM-7PM

Work it out on The Plaza every week with this energetic and motivating dance series. Choose from an array of fun classes that will make you increase your fitness level while decreasing your stress!

June 5 - Danielle Criss

 

Affectionately known as Dani Criss, this artist, dancer, actress and activist strives to create and display authentic work that will ultimately touch, inspire, and change lives. She is heavily influenced by the African diaspora, her heritage, and the history we stand on as she implements thorough research elements and processes through her artistry. 

June 12 - Jillian Amadi Roberts

 

Jillian's dance education spans nearly 25 years in street, stage, club, and cultural dances of the African diaspora and beyond. Her class focuses on foundational technique, fundamental steps, and groove as the heartbeat of hip-hop dance.

June 26 - Kim Holmes

 

This New York native has emerged as one of the most influential luminaries of urban street dance culture. This legendary leading lady and vanguard of hip-hop/house culture has sought to redefine the face of urban dance movement.

Bare Feet Downtown Brooklyn 

 

 

Thursdays, June 1-22 | 6PM-8PM The Plaza at 300 Ashland

Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi returns to Downtown Brooklyn for another cultural journey through music and dance. Seasoned pros and first-time dancers are all welcome to join on The Plaza's dance floor for fun and exciting moves.

June 1 - The Thunderbird American Indian Dancers 

 

For over 25 years, Thunderbird Dancers have enchanted a diverse array of audiences through performance with the varied traditions of the American Indian peoples. Specializing in the songs and dances of the tribes of the Northwest Coast, Woodlands (Iroquois and Winnebago), Plains (Sioux) and the Southwest (Hopi and Santo Domingo), Thunderbird American Indian Dancers have made an enormous contribution to the effort of preserving and perpetuating American Indian culture.

June 8 – The Art of Voguing with Cesar Valentino

 

Before FX's POSE! And HBO Max's Legendary series, there was Cesar Valentino. Since 1988, Cesar has been an innovator in the underground ballroom and club scene. From world tours and documentaries, such as Jennie Livingston's Paris is Burning, to choreographing music videos, Cesar Valentino is master of the art form. Join us as we strike a pose with this legend!

June 15 – Ladies of Hip-Hop

 

Ladies of Hip-Hop has been a driving force in the empowerment of girls & women in hip-hop as well as a living archive of hip-hop through the female lens. Join Founder, Michele Byrd-Mcphee and DJ Sabine Blaizin as they pay homage to five decades of hip-hop while highlighting some of the genre's next generation of female leaders.

June 22 – Fuákata! Cuban Salsa, Casino & Rueda 

 

Fuákata founder, Christopher Rogicki, along with co-director Evelyn Ramirez, continue to showcase the beauty of Cuban Salsa, its evolution, and the diversity of styles it embodies. Fuákata's energy will transport you from Downtown Brooklyn to the streets of La Habana and Santiago de Cuba. Musical guest to be announced.

Movement Mondays with Samba Roots with Quenia Ribeiro 

 

 

Mondays, July 10, 17 and 24 | 6PM-7PM

The Queen of Samba, Quenia Ribeiro, introduces the various forms of Samba from Rio De Janeiro and Bahia. This series goes beyond dance and movement, it is an electrifying journey through rhythm and time.

Movement Mondays with Brukwine

 

 

Monday, August 7 | 6PM-7PM

Brukwine is the ultimate waist wining, booty shaking, body toning workout. Brukwine is a killer dance workout that combines crushing your fitness goals with the excitement of being on a stage!

Movement Mondays with Wukkout!

 

 

Mondays, August 14, 21 and 28 | 6PM-7PM

Love to feel inspired, get healthy, and of course, have the most fun you've ever had working out? Then you'll love Wukkout! Get carefree Caribbean Carnival party vibes with an intensely freeing and fun aerobic workout when you step into an in-person Wukkout! class.

DJ Spinna Presents Flavors

Friday, July 28 | 6PM-8PM

As a world-renowned artist and producer, DJ Spinna connects the dots between rap, house, funk, soul and jazz through his originals and remix work. The Brooklyn native's remixing is considered prolific and demonstrates how styles of music are interconnected and coexist. He can be heard regularly on his Apple Music Hits show, Here to There Radio. His following is universal and always thrilled to move to whatever he plays.

Soul Summit Music

 

 

Friday, August 25 | 6PM-8PM

Born and cultivated in Fort Greene Park, Soul Summit is a DJ collective that is known for its legendary afternoon house music parties, some of the most anticipated outdoor summer events in Brooklyn. A summertime staple, Soul Summit has become an intergenerational, global destination for house heads; a safe haven for Black queer expression; and an enduring, authentic Black space in Brooklyn.

Downtown Brooklyn Partnership is a not-for-profit local development corporation that serves as the primary champion for Downtown Brooklyn as a world-class business, cultural, educational, residential, and retail destination. Working together with the three business improvement districts (BID) that it manages – the MetroTech BID, Fulton Mall Improvement Association, and Court-Livingston-Schermerhorn BID – the Partnership's diverse activities include attracting new businesses and improving the environment for existing companies; facilitating the construction of public spaces and streetscapes that promote an active and cohesive community; supporting and promoting Downtown Brooklyn's cultural assets; and encouraging a unified sense of place and an engaged civic community. For more information, visit www.downtownbrooklyn.com.

The Plaza at 300 Ashland sits at the heart of the Brooklyn Cultural District, adjacent to the brownstone Brooklyn neighborhoods of Fort Greene, Boerum Hill, and Park Slope. DBP has partnered with premier Brooklyn arts organizations such as BAM, BRIC, Brooklyn Public Library, Mark Morris Dance Group, MoCADA, 651 Arts, and Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA) to offer free, high-quality programming for everyone. Programming at The Plaza at 300 Ashland is made possible by support from Two Trees Management Co.

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