Works & Process announces Gather Round: Let’s Dance (2026) Performances at Manhattan West

Manhattan West will host Work & Process’s pop-up dance and music series for the fourth year. Known for its performing arts programming at Guggenheim New York, Work & Process returns to Manhattan West with live bands, dance lessons, and performances by celebrated New York artists. Each week offers something different, from Afro-Latin Dance and Swing to Contra to Freestyle!

Free performances take place on Wednesdays in September from 5-6:15pm on Manhattan West Plaza in Midtown! For more information, please visit https://www.worksandprocess.org/.

SCHEDULE:

+ September 9: LayeRhythm

+ September 16: Sekou McMiller & Friends: Mambo Dance Party

+ September 23: A Barn Dance with Brooklyn Contra

+ September 30: New York Swings with Josh Lee and the Family

9/9: LAYERHYTHM:

Rooted in the raw energy and creative brilliance of freestyle movements like house dance, litefeet, flexN, breaking, and locking, LayeRhythm creates street/club music and dance experiences built on live improvisation, where the audience’s energy and ideas shape what happens on the floor in real time, dissolving the boundaries between spectators and artists. Join LayeRhythm for a performance of live music and street dance, ending with an open dance floor for all! Founder and house dance specialist Mai Lê Hô brings together artists historically under-recognized in the traditional performing arts landscape.

9/16: SEKOU McMILLER & FRIENDS:

Learn how to mambo like they used to in New York’s legendary Palladium Ballroom, where the social dance movement was born! Sekou McMiller & Friends host an intergenerational Mambo social dance party and lesson featuring elders from the Palladium with a live music performance by the Palladium Mambo Band. All are welcome for this intergenerational celebration of Dance and community.

9/23 BROOKLYN CONTRA:

Join us for A Barn Dance With Brooklyn Contra, presenting New York’s most approachable social dance! There will be live music from the Some Assembly Required Quintet playing joyous, dynamic interpretations of traditional Appalachian and Irish tunes to help you whirl away the night. Contra dance is an easy-to-learn folk dance similar to square dancing with some swing dance flair. Originating in northern Appalachia based on English and French formal dances, contra is now danced around the country by multi-generational communities. No partner necessary and all dances are taught before the dance!

9/30 NEW YORK SWINGS with JOSH LEE AND THE FAMILY:

New York Swings brings the excitement of Lindy Hop and Authentic Jazz dance to stages around the world. They share their signature playfulness, athleticism, and historically grounded dedication to the craft to new audiences. Led by choreographer and community driver, Gaby Cook, with a cast of New York’s most talented dancers in the field.

Josh Lee and the Family is a Philadelphia-based ensemble dedicated to honoring the musical and dance traditions of the swing era. Led by Grammy-Winning saxophonist Josh Lee, the band plays classics from composers like Basie, Ellington, Buck Clayton, and more, as well as original music inspired by those historic bands. As a member of the Count Basie Orchestra, Josh has devoted his life to keeping this incredible music alive for generations to come.

ABOUT MANHATTAN WEST:

Manhattan West is New York City’s dynamic destination for food, culture, retail, hospitality, and the modern workplace by BGRE. Spanning eight acres, Manhattan West is located in the center of Manhattan’s new West Side, steps away from Moynihan Hall, Madison Square Garden and The High Line, with seamless access to the theater district, entertainment district, Chelsea art galleries, Meatpacking District and more. Home to diverse world-class office space, Pendry Manhattan West, luxury residences at The Eugene, experiential retail amenities, and unparalleled culinary concepts surrounding a landscaped, two-acre public plaza enlivened with immersive art and entertainment programming, Manhattan West incorporates the best of BGRE’s global placemaking portfolio to create a new district that has something for everyone. Learn more here.

ABOUT BGRE:

BGRE is a premier, global real estate partner to the world’s most ambitious businesses. It operates and develops the real estate they rely on to grow with conviction across markets and sectors. The platform combines global scale with deep local expertise, managing more than 330 MSF of office, logistics, hospitality, retail and living space in gateway markets around the world on behalf of Brookfield. Supported by thousands of employees worldwide, BGRE is committed to building strong partnerships, operating sustainably and creating places where people can work, live, connect and thrive. Learn more here.

ABOUT WORKS & PROCESS:

The magic is in the process. We let you in on the secret.

Works & Process supports creative process from studio to stage so that performing artists can create with dignity. We produce fully funded residencies and present behind-the-scenes events that blend artist discussion and performance highlights. Our events go beyond the stage, so that audiences can spectate, participate, and continue the conversation at hosted receptions.

Each year, Works & Process produces more than 25 creative residencies with over a dozen partners in seven states. These out-of-town residencies provide 24/7 studio access, on-site housing, access to health insurance enrollment, industry-leading artist fees, and a transportation stipend to facilitate uninterrupted creative process. In over 100 Works & Process residencies, supporting over 1,000 artists, incubated works have gone on to receive awards, grants, and tour nationally—and internationally, with the U.S. State Department.

Beyond Guggenheim New York, we also partner with organizations across New York City, including 92NY, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Jerome Robbins Dance Division, and Free Food Refettorio Harlem. During the fall, we curate and present free outdoor dance programs with Manhattan West. Learn more here.

WORKS & PROCESS LEAD DONORS

Lead funding provided by AG Foundation, Stuart H. Coleman and Meryl Rosofsky, Adam and Abigail Flatto, Christian Humann Foundation, Leon Levy Foundation, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Tino and Rajika Puri, Stephen Kroll Reidy, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Denise and Andrew Saul, The Evelyn Sharp Foundation, and The SHS Foundation. Additional support provided by Jody and John Arnhold, Jeff and Susan Campbell, Cate Caruso, Paul Cronson, Lucy and Philip Dobrin, Elizabeth Sharp Edens and Wes Edens, The Fanwood Foundation, Bart Friedman and Wendy Stein, Nina Matis, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, Leon Polsky, Caroline M. Sharp, Randall Sharp, The Shubert Foundation, and Eugene and Jean Stark. Works & Process is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Works and Process, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Tax ID: 13-3592291 Stay connected: @worksandprocess