A Valentine’s weekend in New York primarily for The Loft’s 40th anniversary, also found Shook checking some of the parties keeping the flame alive for the deeper end of dance music in the City. Following the closure of the much missed Shelter, sessions like Temple (with residents Adam Rios and Ruben Toro who learned his trade with mentor Timmy Regisford) and Jellybean’s Ain’t Nuthin’ But A House Party have taken on even more importance for dancers and DJs alike, and Temple’s move from a lovely dance studio down in Chinatown to another Loft space at the NYC Fire Museum in West Soho hasn’t diluted the spirit. Whistles, screams, maracas and roller skates (respect also to DJ Julio and all the skaters at Saturday’s Red & White Valentine’s party down at The YMCA on The Bowery) added to the intensity with Toro mixing up the house and classics and the old school juice bar and free fruit baskets adding to the non-corporate vibe. A deep party!

The same night saw Sting International, ex resident at Shelter alongside Timmy Regisford, holding it down for a 10 hour set at the Sullivan Rooms with One Ol’ Nasty House Party. Hosted by The Shelter’s Freddie Sanon and Garage elders Sharon Toney, David McQueen and Gary Love this is proving to be one of the heavier house parties in New York right now. Sting’s mastery of the mixing desk and love of deep bass reaches back to his days in the Brooklyn sound systems and there was a raw but soulful edge to his marathon set whether he was dropping Philly epics or percussive African house, augmented by the bongos and tambourines out on the floor.

The torchbearer for Afro rooted dance in the City however, is the deeper than deep Libation party held the previous night at the same Greenwich Village spot. Hosted by Manchild Black and conducted by DJ Ian Friday, this is New York’s prime party for spiritual freeform dance, and with Brooklyn’s Afro Mosaic Soul collective in the house the baby powder sanctified floor stages some of the most fluid movement of any party in NYC. We could only presume similar moves were being dropped down at SOBs where Rich Medina’s Jump n Funk Fela party was taking off but our recent arrival, and nagging jetlag meant this was one party too far.

The roots of it all of course go back to the late ‘60s and early ‘70s when David Mancuso weaved an eclectic soundtrack for a crowd of countercultural outsiders for whom love really did become the message – and god knows it was needed.

Times may have changed, with the Soho loft where he held his $1.99 parties now exchanging hands for millions of dollars and the downtown arts community replaced by chi chi stores, but Mancuso’s occasional Sunday parties in the East Village still emit the same positive vibrations that inspired so many of the key figures from New York’s rich dance culture. Arriving early with Liquor Store carry-outs we were met with the ethereal jazz funk of Chuck Mangione’s ‘Land Of Make Believe’, creating a magical and trippy atmosphere underneath the balloons.

Alongside the disco bombs and ethereal oddities it was the jazz that brought out the most athletic yet graceful moves in the old school Loft dancers, who evoke a time when the dancing was truly freeform and everything from martial arts and gymnastics to tap and Latin/African dance were thrown into the mix at the birth of disco. Tearing ourselves away from the party just as the balloons cascaded from above to the sound of Idris Muhammad’s ‘Could Heaven Ever Be Like This’ (and trust me you haven’t heard this tune until you’ve listened to it through The Loft’s Klipschorn speakers)

we headed to Santos Party House for 718 Sessions where original Loft member Danny Krivit was tearing up the dance with his heavily EQd mix of house and Garage classics creating a maelstrom of energy on the multi cultural poly sexual floor – a more intense energy to that of Mancuso’s heady party certainly and one that is vital to New York right now.

Making our way back to the Ukrainian Community Centre we found Mancuso ringing out the last drops of emotion from the cross- generational Loft family as screams and hollers welcomed Loft Classics like Mass Production’s ‘Welcome To Our World’ and Lonnie Liston Smith’s ‘Expansions’. As we head back on the E train to our beds, tired but inspired, we’re convinced that 40 years on New York’s alternative dance culture remains defiant and vibrant in a City which has sadly lost much of its colour.

With thanks to our hosts:

Ruben Toro and Evelyn Santos – Temple
Benny Soto and Joann Jimenez – 718 Sessions
Manchild Black and Ian Friday – Libation
Freddie Sanon & Robbi – One Ol’ Nasty House Party
David Mancuso, Simon Halpin and Goshi – The Loft
DJ Julio and Marion Green – Red and White Roller Skate Party
Tony at Colonial House Inn Chelsea.

Robbi Promoter February 2010 Traxsource.com 10:

Temple Movement w/ Dawn Nicole: Will I Ever Learn To Love (Temple)
Julien Jabre: Time EP – That Day (Elias)
Restless Soul feat. Zansika: And I Know It (Seasons Limited)
Rachel Claudio & Babas D: Butterflies (Raffa Music)
Various Artists: Open Your Eyes – Supporting Haiti (soWHAT)
Darryl D’Bonneau: Patience (Omi Tutu)
Sky Blue: Happily Ever After (Aqua Sol)
Jonny Montana feat. Stephanie Cooke: I Owe U (Soul Heaven)
Anane: A New Born Day (Nervous)
Ralf GUM feat. Kafele: Complicated (Gogo)