A photo series by David M. Grossman
(photo: AI generated)
Our streets are in deep trouble. In cities they often develop a bad reputation due to a combination of visible urban decay, concentrated crime, and systemic infrastructure neglect. At night folks sometimes are afraid to go out, to walk their dog, to go for a stroll or just to get some fresh air. When a specific street or neighborhood is perceived as chaotic or unmanaged, outsiders and residents alike quickly label it as dangerous.
Our streets are in deep trouble. Higher rates of visible offenses like theft, vandalism, and open-air drug markets quickly ruin a street's public image. One perceives public intoxication, loitering, and unpredictable behaviors make pedestrians feel vulnerable and uncomfortable. Accumulated garbage and dirty walkways signal to the public that the local community or municipality has abandoned upkeep.
Our streets are in deep trouble. Masked agitators wearing black or brown shirts are marching the streets again, often carrying outdated flags while chanting dubious slogans. Here we have uniformed political militants trying to scare and intimidate their opponents or innocent bystanders.
THE REMEDY
The urge to transform one's appearance, to dance outdoors, to mock the powerful and embrace perfect strangers is not easy to suppress. Barbara Ehrenreich
Dancers with their flag from Buryatia, Siberia, Russia, with strong Tibetan and Buddhist influences
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While hierarchy is about exclusion, festivity generates inclusiveness. The music invites everyone to the dance. Barbara Ehrenreich
Annual Persian (Iranian) Parade
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Festivities serve an ancient function of building group unity among the participants. Barbara Ehrenreich
Latin Dance Performance, Flatbush, Brooklyn
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Show me a person who found love in his life and did not celebrate it with a dance. Shah Asad Rizvi
Caribbean Children’s Parade, Brooklyn
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Street dance allows individuals to express themselves freely through movement. It is a form of art that encourages creativity and individuality. Whether it's through intricate footwork, fluid body movements, or powerful gestures, street dance provides a platform for self-expression like no other. From: The Power of Street Dance
Neighborhood Breakdance Performance, Brooklyn
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Bangladeshi Dance Performance
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When we dance together in the streets, walls crumble, borders vanish, and for a few beautiful moments, we are just one human family breathing in unison. Unknown
Batala, Afro Brazilian Drumming Project
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Every step we take in dance heals the asphalt, turning a cold street into a living room for peace. Unknown
Chinese Autumn Lantern Festival
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Let's celebrate how dancing in the streets breaks down barriers, fosters collective unity, and brings spontaneous magic into everyday life. JNK
The future of the Hopi Tribe (the peaceful ones, Hopituh Shi-nu-mu)
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All photos, except the AI generated one on top of this article, by David M. Grossman. Locations: Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens, NY..Texts: Jan Nicolaas Kind.
