With close to 300 visual and performing artists participating in the event from 5 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 3, there is something for everyone from a juried art show to ballet and opera performances. But Art in the City can be about more than observing and admiring — it can also be about doing and trying, with hands-on demonstrations and dancing.
Urban ballroom
From East Coast swing and rumba to a country ballroom two-step, the Wintergarden Stage will come alive with music and dance courtesy of the Dayton Ballroom Dance Club.
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“Part of our mission is to teach people social ballroom dance,” club president Mary DiNofa said. “We are so delighted to share our love of dance with others.”
Ballroom dancing can offer fun for all ages as dancers in their early 20s and mid-80s, alike, dance the night away at club events throughout the year.
“That’s the beauty of dance, it’s intergenerational,” DiNofa said. “And, it’s some of the best cardio exercise you can get and the most fun.”
When the demonstration is over, the fun begins for the spectators as the instructors will be taking it to the streets — literally — offering free lessons outside Kettering Tower on Second Street.
“It’s so fun to take people who don’t dance, teach them a few simple steps and see them dancing,” DiNofa said. “There’s nothing better.”
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For more information on the club, visit www.daytonballroom.org or Dayton Ballroom Dance Club on Facebook.
Get your funk on
If hop-hop is more your style, you’re in luck as Funk Lab Dance Center will, again, be a part of the Art in the City festivities with dancers, a beat boxer and a live graffiti artist.
For those who want to put their hip-hop moves to the test, there will also be a live dance battle and a community talent show.
“This event is super positive and very family friendly,” Funk Lab owner Kelly Dailey said. “Lots of fun, whether you’re dancing or just watching.”
Funk Lab, in Kettering, offers hip-hop classes for kids, teens and adults as well as popping, locking and contemporary classes.
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Funk Lab will perform on the stage at the Party on the Patio: Fifth & Jefferson Party. For more information on Funk Lab, visit http://funklabdayton.com/ or Funk Lab Dance Center on Facebook.
No dance steps required
Even if dancing isn’t your thing, you can still get in a good workout as the arts programming includes 14 locations where juried art shows will be on display, plus a variety of local businesses. If you walk to all the hot spots, you could log about 3.5 miles in one night.
Or hop on board the specially marked Dayton Pedal Wagon Art in the City shuttles and pedal the night away. There will be two cycling vehicles running up and down Jefferson and St. Clair streets from 5 to 8 p.m.
Art in the City hot spots
* RiverScape MetroPark
* Schuster Center
* Victoria Theatre
* Loft Theatre
* Dayton Visual Arts Center
* Kettering Tower
* NEW – Artisan Marketplace on Second Street (between Main and Jefferson)
* Dayton Metro Library
* Fire Blocks
* MJ’s on Jefferson
* Courthouse Square
* Edward Dixon Art Gallery
* St. Clair Lofts
* Oregon District
* Crowne Plaza
* K12 Gallery & TEJAS
* NEW – Party on the Patio at Fifth and Jefferson
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