History of Summer Latin Dance Night in NYC 2024

Ask anyone in New York, and they’ll tell you that summers in the city are special. So special that they’ve been immortalized in great literature, film, and song for decades now. Perhaps the most famous Latino, El Gran Combo’s “Un Verano En Nueva York” is an ode to New York City summers and everything they have to offer: street festivals, block parties, boat tours, days at the beach. And for many Latinos in the city, summers mark the return of a long-standing tradition: Latin dance nights.

When I was a kid, my dad used to take my sister and me to the Seaport on weekends, and he’d take us down to the South Street Seaport for salsa nights. This was before the recent renovations, when the Fulton Fish Market still operated out of downtown and would fill the air with the heady aroma of tilapia, salmon, and sea bass. But as you got closer to the water, the scents dissipated and the clave beat grew stronger. You’d pass Pizzeria Uno and the now-shuttered Sequoia Bar, turn a corner, and boom, a dance floor packed with NYC’s best moves, the bass thick enough to swim through.

Those Latin dance nights were a formative part of my childhood. Not because I learned to dance there (I still haven’t), but because of the community experience they provided, the Latinidad that surrounded you as you walked in. It was like a big family, where faces you hadn’t seen in years would pop up and separate themselves from the crowd. I’m still on good terms with all of my dad’s friends (who are now in their 60s) thanks to those Latin dance nights. I still remember so many times when my parents—who were separated for years at the time—would run into each other at an event or party, and the more difficult aspects of their relationship would be forgotten as they played a song or two.

But this summer, instead of reliving those fond memories, I plan to do it myself and attend as many Latin dance nights as I can. The Toñitas 50th Anniversary Block Party in June was a sight to behold. Amid the collision of boutique restaurants and three-story brick buildings in South Williamsburg, Grand Street was packed with bodies twirling to the rhythm of salsa and reggaeton. Vendors from around the city, like La Fonda, served Puerto Rican staples, while others offered classic Caribbean drinks like coco frio; a DJ and live band played in the background. It was a day that felt like old New York City.

But while Toñitas is a legitimate throwback, two other organizations, Perreo 2 the People and La 704, have been hard at work trying to bring Puerto Rico’s futuristic sound to the Big Apple. Twice in as many months, the collectives have hosted perreo parties at Starr Bar in Bushwick, showcasing the island’s next generation of talent. In addition to serving as a platform for emerging artists like Bendi La Bendición, Taiana, Keysokeys, and Enyel C, the parties have also served as a bridge between the diaspora and the homeland. At a time when Puerto Ricans are disappearing from the city we helped build, these parties are a vital part of maintaining the culture, language, and political power we’ve seen eroded as rents have skyrocketed. And for me, they represent a kind of homecoming.

I’ve been a black professional for years now, experiencing the ups and downs of the corporate world. As I’ve worked, I’ve found that new environments and opportunities have opened up for me, taking me further from my particular beginnings. Working in tech meant nights filled with craft beer, ping pong, and karaoke. Advertising led me to the snowy streets of Buffalo, where decades-old pubs and upscale restaurants mingle on Main Street. But the more I’ve become immersed in corporate culture and sought out different experiences, the more I’ve drifted away from the low-key Latino parties that nurtured my youth. We don’t need a lot to have fun, no fancy liquor or fancy appetizers. We just need a beat and a dance floor.

Now that I am older and wiser, I am looking forward to going back to my roots, giving back to the community, and reclaiming a part of myself that I have kept hidden for so long. And maybe I will finally become the salsa dancer I have always wanted to be.

Miguel Machado is a journalist with expertise in the intersection of Latino identity and culture. He does everything from exclusive interviews with Latino music artists to opinion pieces on community-related issues, personal essays tied to his Latinidad, and in-depth articles and features related to Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican culture.