“Urban Stomp: Dreams & Defiance on the Dance Floor” is a highly engaging, thought-provoking, and interactive exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York that highlights over 200 years of social dance in the city–including ballroom, ragtime, swing, salsa, disco, and hip-hop. The show explores how New York’s diverse dance cultures have been shaped by the city’s history, evolving communities and creativity, as well as how dance has served as a powerful form of personal expression and social connection. The visitor can comprehend the continuing role of dance in New York’s sociocultural landscape, and the ways it continues to influence, inspire, and bring people together.
“Urban Stomp” covers a vast globally-influenced range of dance styles that have emerged and evolved in New York in parallel with the growing diversity of the population. Visitors can learn about the historical context and cultural significance of each dance form, and even try out some moves themselves through over 20 interactive kiosks and video lessons.
The exhibit is divided into 5 main sections:
1) You’re Invited: Balls, Ballrooms & Bars explores the spaces where dances such as the cotillion, waltz, polka, foxtrot, and ragtime emerged and evolved, reflecting the dynamic social interactions of the time.
2) It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) delves into the exuberance of the swing era, focusing on the lindy hop and solo jazz dances, such as the Charleston, that symbolize a new era of social possibilities.
3) Wepa! Freedom Dreams from Mambo to Merengue highlights how migration and immigration fueled the practice of vibrant Latin dance forms, from various styles of salsa dancing to bachata and beyond.
4) The Cypher: Breaks and Breakin evokes the revolutionary energy of hip-hop, ball culture, and the hustle as they continue to inspire and reshape dance communities worldwide.
5) Are We All City Yet? Traditions Remixed focuses on how New Yorkers have adapted and redefined dance traditions from around the world, creating new spaces for cultural expression and community building.
One of the highlights of the exhibition is the collection of artifacts and memorabilia on display, including costumes, musical instruments (one of Louis Armstrong’s trumpets and Benny Goodman’s clarinets for instance), and other objects that give life to the city’s dance history. The “All Dancing Allowed!” dance floor is the centerpiece, offering an interactive experience where visitors choose a music genre to get the party started. Unlike New York City’s cabaret law—enacted in 1926 and repealed in 2017—which limited where people could legally dance, this space welcomes everyone to move, watch, record, and build community through dance.
