#rhythmandpowerjournal

Derrick and Pilar are teaching our staff how to warm up

Last Thursday, we had a mini workshop in the auditorium/theater at the Museum of the City of New York. We invited our museum colleagues to experience different dance cultures in New York City by teaching them how to move and work together. This was a taste of our upcoming oral history project with NYC dance innovators starting in late October.

Staff dancing at the workshop

To be honest, we were a little nervous at first since dance workshops are something that don’t happen in museum’s often (well, maybe not just in museums, it’s not common for office workers to leave their desks in the middle of the day to dance!) To let staff experience authentic dance/movement in a relaxing and fun way, we planned and rehearsed for several weeks.

Pilar (left) and Derrick (right) is explaining the Dance Culture New York City program to our staff

All the effort paid off when we saw how everyone was having such a great time laughing, dancing, and enjoying the music.  The #Rhythm&Power journey has begun, this is the first step as we expect to let more people experience this fun and compelling culture through the exhibition and various amazingly fun programs.

Staff dancing at the workshop

As an M.A. arts leadership student that cares about the relationships between art museums and the public, I devote myself to discovering new participatory experiences in museums through public programs. Being a part of Team Rhythm & Power has been such a valuable opportunity for me as I continue growing as a museum professional.

*Photos taken by Raven Wu