Hillel Plaza will come alive on Saturday, June 7, as Dancing On The Plaza 2025 returns to Flatbush Junction for a free, all-ages celebration of culture, movement and community.
"Dancing On The Plaza activates Hillel Plaza, supports local businesses and reflects the culture of Flatbush. This is exactly the kind of energy we want at the Junction," Kenneth Mbonu, president and executive director of the Flatbush Nostrand Junction BID, said in in a statement.
Festivities begin with the Community Arts Impact Breakfast from 10:00am to 11:30am. Local artists, civic leaders and cultural workers will gather for a morning of food and conversation. Dr. Marlon D. Simms, artistic director of the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica and dean of the School of Dance at Edna Manley College, will offer remarks on cultural competency as a foundation for community growth and development.
From noon to 7:00pm, the main event transforms the plaza into an interactive cultural space. The day’s programming centers on Jamaica’s rich dance traditions, exploring the evolution from ancestral movement forms like Gerreh to the global influence of Dancehall. Visitors can engage in workshops, live performances, participatory art stations and community-driven installations.
A highlight of the afternoon is the debut of BLOOM on the Plaza, a 40-minute family-friendly drum and dance workshop led by Master Drummer Jesse Golding and folk artist Dianne Dixon. Designed as “storytelling in motion,” the session introduces participants to the rhythms, history and spirit of Gerreh, one of Jamaica’s most profound traditional dance expressions.
Brooklyn native Alex Mali adds a contemporary note to the lineup with a live performance that blends R&B and Caribbean influences. Her music resonates with younger audiences and broadens the event’s intergenerational appeal while reinforcing its cultural relevance.
The Plaza Discussion Panel will bring together scholars, DJs and cultural leaders to reflect on the evolution of Jamaican movement. Attendees will explore its rural roots, diasporic transitions and modern-day significance through open community dialogue.
Dancing On The Plaza is produced by Blue Mango Arts, a Brooklyn-based cultural production company committed to activating heritage and healing through the arts. The event is held in recognition of Caribbean American Heritage Month and promotes public access, civic pride, and community vitality through cultural infrastructure.
The event is free and open to the public on Hillel Plaza, on Hillel Place, between Flatbush Avenue and Kenilworth Place.
