Downtown Brooklyn Partnership today unveiled the photo installation Get Up Offa That Thing by photographer Robin Michals on the kiosk located in Albee Square, Downtown Brooklyn. Michals’ photography is a love letter to the dancers who create the vibrant culture of New York City’s dance floors. Seventeen dancers are featured, representing different generations and several styles from Latin hustle to breaking, popping, locking, flexing, waacking and house. The photos, taken over the course of three years at Downtown Brooklyn Partnership’s Vinyl Nights, aim to recognize the individual talents and the richness of the community found on the dance floor.
Vinyl Nights channels NYC parties in the early 70’s to the 90’s, when DJs played strictly vinyl, playing the hits that shaped NYC: Disco, Funk, Soul, House, Boogie, Latin, Freestyle and 80’s & 90’s Hip Hop. Some of the featured dancers have formal training, like Bernard Dove, who danced at the Palladium and studied with Ned Williams, who taught Dunham Technique. Others like Roger G and Raymond “Spex Boogie” Abbiw have appeared in music videos with top stars. There are b-boys like Danny “Rockit” Nieves and one of the original b-girls, Peaches Rodriguez. Paul Rodriguez – nicknamed the Human Top – has been doing the Hustle for 40 years.
Dancers also featured in the exhibition include: Jennifer Beasty Acosta, Miranda “Spicey” Benitez, Michael Bredy Aka Noodles, Santiago Di Dansa, Dameyun Ebony, Robert Finicchio, Jino Fort, Roger G, Lili Glassman, Miss Glo’, Eugene Jenkins, Luis Lopez, Gaither Mercury, Danny “Rokit” Nieves.
Get Up Offa That Thing will be on display at Albee Square through November. Vinyl Nights in Albee Square are on Thursdays in August from 5:00 to 8:00 PM.
About Robin Michals
Robin Michals is a photographer whose focus is dance and performance. Current clients include Artichoke Dance, the Center for Performance Research, Earth Celebration, the International Human Rights Arts Festival, The Kingdom Dance Company, the Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation, and the Queensboro Dance Festival among others. She teaches photography at City Tech in Downtown Brooklyn. More information.
