Urban Stomp: Dreams & Defiance on the Dance Floor

Celebrating the creativity and joy of New York City dance cultures, Urban Stomp: Dreams & Defiance on the Dance Floor is a first-of-its-kind exhibition that explores over 200 years of social dance in the city, from the ballrooms and bars of the 19th century to the parks, living rooms, and clubs of today. The exhibition illuminates how New York’s dance cultures and their related dance floors create spaces of collective celebration and social possibilities that have an impact everywhere. 

Urban Stomp guides visitors through a rich history of dance, featuring styles like the lindy hop, salsa, hip-hop, hustle, bhangra, vogue, and more—each one born, shaped, or popularized in New York. Through a captivating mix of film, fashion, ephemera, art installations, dance interactives, music, photography, and instruments, the exhibition immerses visitors in the vibrant dances that have shaped—and been shaped by—the city’s ever-changing cultural landscape.