Events

UPCOMING EVENTS

11.2.24
NEXT Steps Fundraising Gala

Join us on Saturday evening, November 2nd for NEXT Steps – Our sixth anniversary gala to raise funds for our educational and concert dance initiatives empowering youth and audiences through access, equity, and the transformative power of the arts. This year, we celebrate what is coming NEXT for Accent Dance NYC and for the NEXT generation of creative leaders whom we are nurturing every day through our educational and professional initiatives.

PREVIOUS EVENTS

A First Look: A Place For Us Showing and Q+A

A Place for Us blends ballet, contemporary dance, and theatrical elements to tell the powerful story of three immigrants seeking a new life in America. Inspired by her family’s journey from Mexico and Portugal, choreographer Danielle Diniz offers a personal yet universally resonant portrayal of finding one’s place in a new land. This intimate first look at Accent Dance NYC’s most recent NEXT commission offers a unique opportunity to experience the work before its official premiere.

In addition to A Place for Us, the program featured a lyrical contemporary ballet duet, La Bella Cubana, by acclaimed Cuban choreographer Pedro Ruíz. Also, West African dance and drumming based on traditional dance and music from Guinea was showcased.

Attendees participated in a Q&A session with Diniz, delving deeper into the themes of the work and its connection to current issues of immigration and identity.

Narcissus at Peridance

Accent Dance NYC participated in PERIDANCE PRESENTS: an evening of dance celebrating four choreographers at different stages of their careers and featuring various dance genres. Our commissioned choreographer Will A. Ervin Jr. was selected as one of the four choreographers to present his work Narcissus at the event.

Dance at The Gym

Accent Dance NYC brought a free multicultural community performance and interactive workshop to the Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon. The event combined professional performances of West African dance and drumming, hip hop dance, and a newly commissioned work by emerging African American choreographer Will A. Ervin, Jr. The performance was followed by an accessible dance workshop, led by Accent Dance’s team of multicultural artists, drawing upon the dance styles, histories, and cultures of the performed works and providing a joyful, educational, and community-building experience for all.

Accent Dance NYC is proud to be a grantee of ArtsWestchester with funding made possible by Westchester County government with the support of County Executive George Latimer.

Let’s Dance! 2023: I AM/WE ARE

On Saturday evening, November 4th, 2023, I AM/WE ARE – Our fifth anniversary gala, was held to raise funds for our educational and concert dance initiatives empowering youth and audiences through access, equity, and the transformative power of the arts.

This year, the programming explored the intersection between individual identity and collective action.

The evening’s centerpiece was excerpts from our latest commission, Narcissus, a work of artistic introspection from emerging dance maker, William Ervin, combining elements of street and contemporary dance. An evocative film of the work by celebrity photographer Mark Mann was also premiered. Ervin’s dance is the springboard for our educational programming on self-exploration and community engagement, encouraging students to explore who they are and how their individual identities mirror – and enrich – the larger community of their peers and beyond.

The festive evening of cocktails and dinner also featured our community partners sharing the stage with our professional ensemble in an array of multi-disciplinary works, and culminated in a high-energy dance battle of tap, hip hop, and other street dance styles.

Narcissus and Other Dances

An evening of dance and self-discovery, Narcissus and Other Dances, was presented Friday, September 8, 2023 at The Ailey Studios on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. This in-studio showing, featuring a captivating new work by commissioned choreographer William Ervin, delved into the intricate tapestry of identity, self-love, and the profound influence of our surroundings.

The heart of the evening lied Ervin’s multidisciplinary work of modern, contemporary, and street dance movement paired with other thought-provoking works by Accent Dance NYC artists that shared a common thread of self-exploration and expression. After the performance, a stimulating talk back session with dancemaker Maxwell Waterman delved deeper into the intersection of dance and identity, underscoring Accent Dance NYC’s mission to foster community, embrace individuality, and promote self-love through the powerful medium of dance.

New Rochelle YMCA Student Dance Showcase

We celebrated the accomplishments of the after-school students from our dance program, led by Accent Dance NYC’s multicultural team of teaching artists, in an end-of-school-year showcase. This free performance for family and friends at the New Rochelle Public Library gave students an opportunity to perform on a real-life stage! Students performed engaging works of hip hop and African dance as well as showed off their own choreography and other artistic talents. The performance featured students from both the Y’s main New Rochelle location and its Daniel Webster Elementary School location.

Juneteenth Community Dance Showcase

Accent Dance NYC celbrated our youth and community-building in a joyful end-of-school-year showcase at The Bronx High School of Science. This free-of-charge performance for the community, family, and friends featured our talented students from our various dance residency programs taking place in schools throughout the Bronx and lower Westchester.

Students ranging from elementary school-age through high school performed new works of contemporary, West African, hip hop, step dance, and more. The choreography students from the New Rochelle High School also performed a work they created during a recent Accent Dance residency in collaboration with our artists.

Let’s Dance! 2022: Activism Through Arts Education

Saturday, November 12th, 2022 was the date of our annual gala fundraiser Let’s Dance! Activism Through Arts Education; with cocktails, dinner and live performances to help raise funds to bring our dance residencies and multicultural educational performances to more schools and to purchase a portable dance floor for our community performances. We exceeded our fundraising goals and the evening was a great success! If you’d like to donate, please visit the Support Us page.

Pelham Pride Party

We celebrated and stood in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community in June (and continue to all year round)! Accent Dance NYC performed as part of the second annual Pelham Pride Party in lower Westchester County, on Friday, June 17.

Professional dancers Alonso Danza and Dardo Galletto performed a beautiful tango piece at the event, and community members were invited to share their experiences and relationship to the LGBTQ+ community. This free event was open to all.

Accent Dance NYC at Pelham Art Center

Accent Dance NYC performed at Pelham Art Center’s spring evening gala “SHINE” at the Split Rock Golf Course, Bronx, New York. We also performed that same afternoon, as part of The Art Happening, an installment of Pelham Art Center’s free public program series.

Let’s Dance Annual Gala Fundraiser

Thanks to all who attended and supported our annual gala fundraiser at Pelham Picture House!

Missed the event? You can still help us continue our mission by using the donate button below to contribute now.

Donate Now!

Overwhelming Media Attention for Regalo Hispánico Performance

We were thrilled to see that our September 17th performance, Regalo Hispánico, was covered by so many news outlets as an event to see to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in New York City!

Television news coverage included Eyewitness News (ABC 7) and WPIX 11 (shown above). In print/online news coverage the event was picked up by Yahoo! News, Hola!, New York Daily News, Dance Enthusiast and more!

Regalo Hispánico was made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

El Cantante: A Tribute to Héctor Lavoe

September 12th’s free outdoor event to honor the 75th birthday of salsero legend Hector Lavoe featured Accent Dance NYC. We are proud to be involved in arts education and community outreach in The Bronx and excited that the Bronx Music Heritage Center chose us again for an event celebrating Hispanic Heritage month.

Community Art Day at Pelham Art Center

August 28th, 2021 was a great day at Pelham Art Center: Accent Dance NYC was part of a free outdoor community art day in the courtyard.

On Screen: Beyond Quarantine, Our Annual Fundraiser

Our virtual fundraiser and holiday event to support Accent Dance NYC’s educational programming and virtual educational performance went off without a hitch. We were pleased to greet over 60 guests and we raised a significant portion of our fundraising goal.

The entire event is posted below. Please take some time to watch it and consider making a donation. We are dedicated to bringing arts education programs to kids in the neighborhoods hardest hit by the pandemic. We need your help to continue this vital outreach.

Funds raised in connection with this event will support Accent Dance NYC’s ongoing educational initiatives, including a soon-to-be-filmed virtual educational performance featuring the work of NYT’s dance-videographer Angelo Vasta.

Accent Dance NYC in Bronx Rising!:
Los Cantantes: A Tribute to Héctor Lavoe & Rubén Blades

Presented by the Bronx Music Heritage Center, Accent Dance NYC created a livestream event celebrating the life and legacy of the great salsa singer Héctor Lavoe. Watch the entire program below:

“An Evening of Advocacy” on BronxNet TV

We produced An Evening of Advocacy for BronxNet TV, showing the power of Arts Education to transform communities featuring Bronx principal and influencer Luis Torres.

Here is the program in its entirety. This is an important dialogue about the future of public education and the communities it serves:

“Let’s Dance” Fundraiser Raised Money for Educational Programs

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It was a great evening on September 21, 2019 as Accent Dance showcased its educational work (and amazing dancing!) to an enthusiastic crowd, many of whom offered substantial help for our ongoing educational programs.

Missed the event but would still like to help out? Click on the button below:

DONATE NOW

Bronx Rising! Performance

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Accent Dance NYC’s performance at Bronx Rising! with James Reese Europe & His Latin Connection, June 15th, 2019. 

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a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization

Erwin and Isabelle Ziegelman Foundation
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