Looking to dance the night away this summer? New York City welcomes a new addition this season with the biggest outdoor dance floor, fully equipped with a 10-foot disco ball.
Located at the Josie Robertson Plaza, "The Oasis" is one installation for guests to enjoy during Lincoln Center's "Summer for the City," a three-month program engaging the entire campus with over 1,000 artists, 300 events and 10 outdoor stages.
The season runs from May 14 through August 14 with the theme "Rejoice, Reclaim, Remember," representing a city healing during the unprecedented COVID times.
"It's about holding on to both all of the things that make us so happy joining together again, but also not forgetting this hard time that we all went through, so really cementing this as a new beginning for all of us," Shanta Thake, Lincoln Center's Chief Artistic Officer, told NBC New York in a recent interview.
With sing-alongs, dance festivals, sculpture, films and pop-up shows, the series offers a wide variety of entertainment and moments of reflection to take in purposeful art installations.
Last year to lift the arts during the COVID pandemic, Lincoln Center launched "Restart Stages" and created an outdoor performing space called "The Green" with about 14,000-square-feet of recyclable, synthetic grass.
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"What we learned last year with 'The Green', which allowed people to reclaim that space in a kind of civic way, it felt like the village green. People came, they hung out, had picnics, they sunbathed. And this summer, we thought what do we want to do with the city, and Shanta Thake had this vision of dancing," Henry Timms, President and CEO of Lincoln Center, told News 4.
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Particularly at "The Oasis", New Yorkers can strut their stuff at silent discos and artist series with genres representing the heart and soul of New York, such as merengue tipico, salsa, lindy hop, western swing, tango, freestyle, ballroom and more.
Starting Wednesday, the public dance floor is open daily from 8:00 A.M. to midnight and will have concessions available for food and drink to purchase.
"Summer for the City" events are available for free via general admission, first-come, first-served. Certain performances will offer a "choose what you pay" method, as well. A free advanced reservation service for some exhibits is an option, giving guests priority access to book ahead.
Click here for a list of upcoming "Summer for the City" events.
