Work & Process' Pop-Up Dance, Music Series Returns To Manhattan West Plaza

NEW YORK CITY — Manhattan West Plaza will once again become an outdoor dance floor this September as Work & Process returns for its fourth year with a free series of live music, dance lessons and performances by New York artists.

The weekly program takes place Wednesdays from 5 to 6:15 p.m. on Manhattan West Plaza in Midtown.

The series will showcase a range of dance traditions, from Afro-Latin and swing to contra and freestyle.

The 2026 schedule includes:

• September 16: Sekou McMiller & Friends: Mambo Dance Party, featuring a lesson and intergenerational social dance inspired by New York’s legendary Palladium Ballroom, with live music from the Palladium Mambo Band.
• September 23: A Barn Dance with Brooklyn Contra, featuring live Appalachian and Irish music by the Some Assembly Required Quintet. Contra dancing is an accessible folk dance similar to square dancing, and no partner is required.
• September 30: New York Swings with Josh Lee and the Family, celebrating Lindy Hop and authentic jazz alongside music from Philadelphia-based swing ensemble Josh Lee and the Family.

The series is presented by Work & Process, known for its performing arts programming at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

Organizers say the Manhattan West pop-up is designed to bring artists and audiences together through accessible, participatory performances.

All events are free and open to the public.