Gather Round, a free outdoor dance and music series inspired by the competitions of the summer Olympics in Paris, celebrates street and club dance battles. See breakers compete in an event hosted by legends Kwikstep and Rokafella, watch the Ballroom community walk the runway and vogue, cheer on competing Waack dancers, and witness NYC’s top beatboxers go head-to-head with The Beatbox House.

Performance Schedule:

Behind The Groove: CeleBreak Outside! with Kwikstep and Rokafella
September 4, 4:30pm
This outdoor version of Behind the Groove includes four breaking teams battling it out to the sounds of DJ KS360 and DP One, emceed by Rokafella.

Gather Round Kiki Ball
September 11, 4:30pm
The Gather Round Kiki Ball celebrates LGBTQIA+ pride and the skills and style that have made Ballroom the cultural force it is today, featuring commentator Snookie Juicy West, DJ Byrell The Great, and legendary judges Omari “Oricci” Wiles, Courtney “Balenciaga” Washington and more. Categories for this demo ball will be Runway, Face, and Vogue, featuring some of NYC’s best ball walkers.

Fabulous Waacking Festival, Fall Edition with Princess Lockerooo
September 18, 4:30pm 
Distinguishable by its rotational arm movements, posing and emphasis on expressiveness, Waacking brings together the glitz and glamor of Hollywood films, the vibrant energy of disco, and the colorful underground gay club culture of the ‘70s. Top Waackers go head-to-head in an epic showdown. Visitors are invited to dress to impress and join in the dancing at the end – after the show and battle, there will be an opportunity to get their disco fix, twirl, and let loose.

Manhattan West Beatbox Battle with The Beatbox House
September 25, 4:30pm 
New York City’s top beatboxers go head-to-head with their newest material in advance of the 2024 USA Beatbox Championships in Pittsburgh! Kenny Urban, Gene Shinozaki, Neil Meadows (aka NaPoM), Amit Bhowmik, and Chris Celiz make up The Beatbox House, a collective that perfected their craft while living together in Brooklyn. From 2015-2018, they traveled to Europe and won the Grand Beatbox title, bringing beatbox glory back to NYC where it all started. (Fact: beatboxing started in the Bronx!)