What to Know
- Dance DTLA's 20th Anniversary
- The free summer series invites the public to come dance at Jerry Moss Plaza at the Music Center; nights are themed, with Bollywood, Salsa, and Reggaeton on the schedule
- Friday nights, June 21 through Aug. 16, 2024; 7 to 11 p.m.; all ages are welcome
So many iconic films boast splashy dance numbers, the sorts of scenes that brim with incredible choreography, marvelous moves, elaborate footwork, and a deep sense of free-spirited fun.
And those memorable moments often take place outdoors, a setting that adds to the breezy feeling that the on-screen dancers are blissfully bringing.
In the real world, though? We don't get to shake it under the stars all that often, nor do we get to tap a toe among other dance-loving strangers, people who are also in touch with the sheer delight that swaying to great music so easily summons.
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Dance DTLA has changed all of that, giving people who love to dance the chance to do so, for free, over the last two twirl-tastic decades.
The summer series, which ebulliently unfurls at Jerry Moss Plaza at the Music Center, is all about spotlighting different genres of dance and the music that fuels the get-moving energy.
It's all cha-cha-ing back into our dance-loving worlds over the summer of 2024, which also happens to be the 20th anniversary of the beloved series.
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June 21 is the first 2024 night — you'll be learning the beautiful moves of Bollywood dancing and then enjoying some time on the dance floor, post-instruction — while Disco rounds it all out, with flash and dash, on Aug. 16.
Ah yes: As with all Dance DTLA events, a fabulous instructor is there to give pointers on the basics. You'll want to arrive on the early side to pick up a few tips or burnish your technique.
But dancing in unison is not required once the evening is in full and fun swing, nor will there be loads of complicated choreography to memorize; this is simply dancing among other Southern Californians in a picturesque plaza, for free.
Check out the full line-up of nights — Salsa and Colombian Cumbia are on the roster, too — and make plans to "trip the light fantastic" at the Jerry Moss Plaza over several Friday nights this summer.
