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Series Features 15 Nights of Social Dance with International Music Icons and Contemporary Rising Stars, including:

• Rare New York performance by Brazilian icon and “Queen of Forró” Elba Ramalho
• Trumpeter Bria Skonberg returns leading a new iteration of the Sisterhood of Swing, now with seven incredible musicians, including vocalist Catherine Russell
• A night of DiscoVogue with Escort, East Village icon DJ Lina, and MikeQ x Qween Beat celebrating WorldPride NYC
• Chulo Records’ Los Hacheros blend authentic salsa aesthetics with New York attitude
• Classic salsa rhythms on the Fourth of July with renowned bandleader Bobby Valentín and his orchestra
• New Orleans Jazz with five-time Grammy nominee Maria Muldaur performing the songs of Blue Lu Barker
• A new leader in contemporary swing, the Eyal Vilner Big Band
• Rising star Charles Turner & Uptown Swing, playing hard-swinging standards
• Return of Silent Discos, Dance Contest, and LC Kids Dance!

Tickets on sale today

Today, Lincoln Center announced the 30th season of Midsummer Night Swing, celebrating the rich diversity of New York City with a wide range of sounds and dance styles from Tuesday, June 25, to Saturday, July 13, 2019. Fifteen nights of outdoor dance lessons and performances under the stars— covering genres like swing, rhythm & blues, ballroom, tango, salsa, and forró—bring to life the timeless magic of summer in the city.

“Over the past 30 years, Midsummer Night Swing has become a summer tradition for New Yorkers and visitors alike, bringing people from all walks of life together in Damrosch Park,” says Jill Sternheimer, Director of Public Programming for Lincoln Center. “New and seasoned dancers of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities are welcome to share the dance floor and experience the unique joy of social dance.”

The season kicks off in classic style on June 25 with veterans of the very first Midsummer Night Swing in 1989, Grammy-winning instrumentalist and bandleader Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks. Returning in a new, nimble iteration after an incredible debut performance last summer, the Sisterhood of Swing Seven—an ode to the International Sweethearts of Rhythm—takes the stage, led by dynamic trumpet player Bria Skonberg, and featuring the transcendent jazz vocalist Catherine Russell. The explosive Eyal Vilner Big Band celebrates its brand-new album due this summer with a multigenerational ensemble performing inventive arrangements of swing and jazz classics, plus original compositions.

Iconic and contemporary acts bring Latin rhythms to Damrosch Park, including a rare NYC performance by Brazilian superstar Elba Ramalho. Known as the “Queen of Forró,” Ramalho creates vivacious live performances with her unmistakable vocals and songwriting, giving her a permanent place in Brazilian music history. Ringing in the Fourth of July is the Puerto Rico–based Bobby Valentín Orchestra, led by one of the most prolific arrangers and instrumentalists in Latin music today. Chulo Records’ Los Hacheros will move die-hard salseros and younger generations to the dance floor, and Analía Goldberg, of the Argentinian orchestra Color Tango, leads her sextet in a night of golden-age tango.

Midsummer Night Swing’s DiscoVogue party joins the citywide celebration of WorldPride NYC on June 27, starring powerhouse nu disco darlings Escort, downtown staple DJ Lina playing classic house and club tracks, and innovators of the underground ballroom scene Mike Q x Qween Beat!. In July, disco beats return to Damrosch Park with fan favorites Joe McGinty & The Loser’s Lounge playing the biggest hits of the 1970s. Both events will be followed by late night Silent Disco.

Foxtrot, cha cha, and rumba steps will turn the dance floor into a ballroom when Joe Battaglia & The New York Big Band hit the stand. Blues and swing fans will be wowed by the up-and-coming Charles Turner & Uptown Swing, who are quickly making their mark on the NYC jazz scene. Motor city soul will be on full display when Dr. K’s Motown Revue interprets the best of classic Detroit hits. Five-time Grammy nominee Maria Muldaur digs into the catalogue of New Orleans jazz and blues, performing her Grammy-nominated interpretations of Blue Lu Barker hits.

Once again, the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra will close out the season on July 13 with the 15th-annual tribute to brilliant jazz soloist Illinois Jacquet, as dancers show off their best Lindy hop moves in hopes of winning the Ambassador Prize Dance Contest. Contestants can find the latest updates on registration details at MidsummerNightSwing.org.

LC Kids Dance with Dancing Classrooms is back for another year, teaching the basics of merengue, tango, salsa, and swing for ages 6 to 10, Saturday, July 13, from 3:00 to 4:30 pm.

“As the official hospital of Lincoln Center, NewYork-Presbyterian is proud to once again join in presenting this year’s Midsummer Night Swing,” said Dr. Steven J. Corwin, President and CEO, NewYork-Presbyterian. “We are pleased to support the health and wellness of all New Yorkers and celebrate diversity in the arts.”

Evenings at Midsummer Night Swing are ticketed events, on sale today. Admission includes a dance lesson for people of all skill levels, taught by some of New York’s foremost instructors. Through May 1, all ticket types can be purchased with no additional fees. Tickets start at $18. More information on individual tickets and season passes can be found below and at MidsummerNightSwing.org.

Live music begins at 7:30 pm and lasts until 10:00 pm, except on June 27 and July 2 when Silent Disco extends the party until 11:30 pm.

Midsummer Night Swing is one of several summer events offered by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts that annually activate the campus’s indoor and outdoor spaces. The Mostly Mozart Festival (July 10–August 10) brings extraordinary international artists, acclaimed stage productions, and concert performances to New York City. Lincoln Center Out of Doors (July 24–August 11), presents a wide array of free performances, including music, dance, spoken word, film, and more, reflecting the diversity of New York City. The David Rubenstein Atrium’s robust calendar of free events, including world-class performances, illuminating conversations, dance parties, kids’ programs, and more, also continues through the summer.

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Midsummer Night Swing 2019 Schedule
Tuesday, June 25 – Saturday, July 13

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All tickets and pass types go on sale today, April 25, at MidsummerNightSwing.org. Passes can be purchased with no fees until May 1, in person and online. Multi-evening Midsummer Night Swing passes are priced at $60 for four dances, $84 for six dances, and $170 for the full season. Tickets for individual evening events are $18 prior to the day of the event and $22 day-of.

Ambassador Package: For $105, a group of four will receive admission to the dance floor, free bag check for four, and one complimentary glass of wine or beer per guest.

The Swing box office is located in the lobby of David Geffen Hall at Broadway and 65th Street. Tickets for individual events and passes can be purchased in advance at the David Geffen Hall Box Office or beginning at 5:30 pm on the night of the event at a box office in Damrosch Park. All major credit cards will be accepted. Tickets and passes can also be purchased through CenterCharge, 212.721.6500, or MidsummerNightSwing.org.

Rain Policy: Midsummer Night Swing makes every effort to present each event of the season, as long as weather allows. Performance cancellations due to inclement weather will not be announced until 8:30 pm on show night. In the case of cancellation, ticketholders are entitled to exchange for another performance or a refund. Passholders are not entitled to a refund. If a performance has begun and is canceled after 8:30 pm, exchanges or refunds are not offered.

Silent Discos: Silent Discos, powered by Quiet Events, return to the festival on June 27 and July 2. At the Silent Discos, dancers wear wireless headphones to listen and dance to extended DJ sets after the live music ends at 10:00 pm. On June 27, Justin Dawson, William Francis, and Valissa Yoe will each spin sets; Bill Coleman, WFUV’s Rita Houston, and Rimarkable will do a Silent Disco takeover on July 2. Silent Discos will continue until 11:30 pm. Wireless headsets are free with the purchase of a live show ticket or $5 at the door for the Silent Disco only, subject to capacity.

About The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (LCPA) serves three primary roles: presenter of artistic programming, national leader in arts and education and community engagement, and manager of the Lincoln Center campus. A presenter of thousands of free and ticketed events, performances, tours, and educational activities annually, LCPA offers a variety of festivals and programs, including American Songbook, Avery Fisher Career Grants and Artist program, David Rubenstein Atrium programming, Great Performers, Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Awards, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Lincoln Center Vera List Art Project, LC Kids, Midsummer Night Swing, Mostly Mozart Festival, White Light Festival, the Emmy Award–winning Live From Lincoln Center, which airs nationally on PBS, and Lincoln Center Education, which is celebrating more than four decades enriching the lives of students, educators, and lifelong learners. As manager of the Lincoln Center campus, LCPA provides support and services for the Lincoln Center complex and the 11 resident organizations: The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Juilliard School, Lincoln Center Theater, The Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet, New York Philharmonic, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, School of American Ballet, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Lincoln Center is committed to providing and improving accessibility for people with disabilities. For information, contact Accessibility at Lincoln Center at [email protected] or 212.875.5375.

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• Midsummer Night Swing is presented by NewYork-Presbyterian
• Additional support is provided by The Shubert Foundation, The Katzenberger Foundation, Inc., Great Performers Circle, Lincoln Center Spotlight, Chairman’s Council, and Friends of Lincoln Center.
• Additional support is made possible by our NextGen supporters: Katherine Farley and Jerry Speyer, Hearst, Mr. and Mrs. John B. Hess, Elliot and Roslyn Jaffe, Stephen M. Ross, James Dinan and Elizabeth Miller, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz, Sandra and Tony Tamer, Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, Cheryl and Blair Effron, Meg and Bennett Goodman, Cheryl and Philip Milstein and Hon. Stephen C. Robinson.
• Public support is provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Tom Finkelpearl, Commissioner, New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
• Operation of Lincoln Center’s public plazas is supported in part with public funds provided by the City of New York. NewYork-Presbyterian is the Official Hospital of Lincoln Center.
• “Summer at Lincoln Center” is supported by PEPSICO. Artist catering provided by Zabar’s and Zabars.com.

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Additional information, as well as photos and videos of the artists can be found at Lincoln Center’s Press Room: http://AboutLincolnCenter.org/Press-Room. Login or register to access.

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