Contemporary Dance: It’s Showtime NYC!, SOLE Defined, Robin Dunn

WHAT : Hip hop dance, high-energy and percussive FREE : No tickets needed, just show up on the lawn! Contemporary Dance is curated by Tiffany Rea-Fisher. Over its 11 year history It's Showtime NYC! dancers have created a number of pieces and commissioned major new works. The group was the first resident street dance company at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Commissions & performances include: Works & Process at the Guggenheim and at Alice Tully Hall, Abrons Arts Center, the Shed, HarlemStage, Jacobs Pillow, Lincoln Center, Wave Hill, Barclay’s Center, Symphony Space, Summerstage, Pregones, BAAD, Jamaica Performing Arts Center,  Poster House Museum, Bronx Museum of the Arts, River to River Festival, Weeksville Heritage Center. It’s Showtime NYC! was nominated for a 2020 Bessie Award for Outstanding Breakout Choreographer. Commissioned collaborations with international dance makers include Adesola Osakalumi, Anne Nguyen, and Faustin Linyekula.  Additional collaborations: NY Philharmonic; Grandwizzard Theodore at Casita Maria; Bill T. Jones at Park Avenue Armory; Raphael Xavier; D.R.E.A.M. Ring,  Malik Work, Osyris Antham, LayeRhythm, Kash Gaines, Slicc, Dre, Doc, DaVincii Productions and James “Cricket” Colter. SOLE Defined is an award-winning percussive dance company that transforms the body into a musical instrument, blending rhythmic movement, storytelling, and live sound to create immersive performance experiences. Founded in 2011 by  Guggenheim Choreographer Ryan K. Johnson and Quynn Johnson, the company fuses tap dance, body percussion, sand dance, and multimedia to create high-energy performances that captivate from the first beat. Using the body as a musical instrument, SOLE Defined blends original music, cutting-edge technology, and cultural narrative into an unforgettable live experience. SOLE Defined connects audiences across cultures and generations through rhythm you don’t just hear, you feel. The company has been presented at  The Wexner Center for the Arts, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Jacob’s Pillow, and Lincoln Center, and has energized audiences across the U.S. and around the world. Each performance is more than a show, it’s an experience. With driving rhythms, precision choreography, and dynamic audience interaction, SOLE Defined invites you into the music, turning every theater into a living, breathing instrument. Get ready to clap, move, and be moved, this is rhythm in motion. Robin Dunn is known as the first to introduce the art of Hip Hop dance to the east coast at New York's Broadway Dance Center and The Ailey School. This 20-minute piece brings together Sura Ali (spoken word/rap), Johnathan Moore (Electric cello), and dancers from It’s Showtime NYC! in a live mix of rap, cello, and street dance. Sura Ali comes from spoken word and carries that into her music—real stories, direct, no filter. Johnathan Moore flips the cello into something else, using loops and live playing to build sound in the moment. Together, they create a space where music isn’t fixed—it moves, shifts, and responds.  The dancers meet that energy head-on. Everything is grounded in groove, control, and feeling, pulling from street styles and letting the music hit the body in real time. "The Pulse" is a refreshed immersive performance experience that transforms audiences from passive spectators into active participants. Rooted in African Diasporic dance traditions, the work leads audiences through a dynamic, polyrhythmic journey blending Tap Dance, Body Percussion, Sand Dance, and direct audience engagement. By translating global rhythmic patterns through the human body, "The Pulse" creates a living score where music and movement are inseparable. The audience becomes part of this rhythmic dialogue, blurring the line between performer and observer and fostering collective energy. Together, these elements position "The Pulse" as a groundbreaking celebration of heritage, innovation, and the transformative power of percussive dance. Performed by Claude Alexander, Izaiah Montaque Harris, Jada Hicks, Quynn Johnson, Jodeci Milhouse, Jessee Leigh Robinson, and Funmi Sofola “Dance/Spit” is a high-energy performance created and conceived by Robin Dunn featuring dancers in Hip Hop, Tap, Funk, and Litefeet. These dynamic dance performers rap and sing live, blending movement and voice to share personal stories and perspectives. Through a series of solos and a culminating ensemble cypher, the work explores culture, community, and issues of the day. It is a dynamic, thought-provoking fusion of dance and expression. Robin has assembled a cast of New York’s finest artists and beyond, including (in alphabetical order), Noahlot Gotit, Daniel “Chrybaby Cozie” Holloway, Hypegirl, Jay T. Jenkins, Irina Elle Lalciu (background dancer), Adrian Martin aka “Swagger (background dancer),” and Jason Samuels Smith. Each artist is not only a master of movement, but also a powerful voice. In this electrifying work, dancers step forward as storytellers, seamlessly weaving rhythm, lyricism, and physical expression as they rap and sing live. Rooted in personal narrative and collective experience, the piece invites each artist to share their journey—their artistry, their communities, and the cultural foundations that shape their work.  Through both movement and voice, performers explore timely themes and pressing issues, offering reflections that are at once intimate and socially resonant. The result is a layered performance where dance and spoken word coexist, amplifying one another to spark connection and thought. Structured as a series of solos, each artist claims the stage with a distinct voice and style, creating a mosaic of perspectives and forms. The work culminates in a vibrant ensemble cypher, where all performers come together in a shared space of improvisation, exchange, and celebration— honoring the roots of these street and club-born traditions. With dance pulsing throughout, “Dance/Spit” is both a performance and a conversation—an immersive experience that challenges, uplifts, and invites audiences to witness the power of artists who move and speak their truth. Bryant Park lends out hundreds of free blankets on a first come, first served basis, or bring your own cotton or fleece blanket. To protect the lawn, please do not sit on waterproof materials such as plastic tarps, yoga mats, or inflatable chairs. Take a seat in one of the pre-set chairs on the lawn or grab a chair from the gravel. You can use a chair anywhere on the lawn except for the center lawn blanket zone. Purchase food and drinks from tents on the east side of the lawn or bring your own picnic. Look for Stout NYC and Heaster Street Fair vendors, and be sure to visit the Bryant Park Shop, too! Visit the Bryant Park Shop tent for exclusive Picnic Performances merchandise and more. Find a parachute, hula hoops, and more fun on the east side of the lawn at select events. Dogs are welcome on the gravel and bluestone, but not on the lawn. Performances are cancelled when it is unsafe to be outdoors. In some cases, the lawn may be too wet to open but the performance may continue. Follow @bryantparknyc for day-of event updates. You can also check the lawn status on the bryantpark.org homepage . Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America is a free outdoor festival that welcomes all New Yorkers to experience the city’s vibrant arts and culture. The series provides a platform for extraordinary artists and serves as a vital outdoor venue for a wide array of New York’s cultural institutions.