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North Bay Village board hears proposal for 'Dance in the Park' series at Vogel Park
Summary
A local studio proposed recurring community dance classes and socials at Vogel Park; the board agreed to a free kickoff, discussed pricing and logistics, and a vice mayor offered to sponsor the first two paid sessions while organizers return with a flyer and dates in September.
The North Bay Village board on July 1 heard a proposal from a local dance studio to offer regular "Dance in the Park" classes and community socials at Vogel Park.
The presenter said the studio is based in Little Haiti and offers a wide range of dance styles, including hip hop, Afrobeats, salsa and bachata. "We're in Little Haiti. We're a dance center that focuses on, healthy lifestyle and different dances," the presenter said, adding the studio's address as 250 Northeast 61st Street. Board members discussed formats that could range from single-class sessions to partner classes followed by a social dance.
Why it matters: the program aims to provide intergenerational recreation for residents, add evening and weekend programming to the village calendar, and offer an outreach opportunity for a local small business.
Board members and the presenter debated logistics — which park surface to use, minimum participant counts and how often to run classes. Member Francois said an event should draw a minimum of roughly four to five participants to feel successful. The presenter said some styles (for example, Afrobeats) can work as a single shorter class, while partner dances may require longer sessions and a higher price point.
On costs and funding, the presenter provided per-session estimates and confirmed the studio would bring its own speaker. The group discussed either asking participants to pay per class or subsidizing sessions; the board agreed on a complimentary kickoff session and to budget two subsidized sessions to test interest. One board leader said the vice mayor would sponsor the first two paid classes to seed the pilot. "So I think, so what I'm hearing is we could — vice mayor Cook will sponsor the first two classes, see how it goes," a board member said.
Next steps: the board asked member Farheem to lead marketing and bring a proposed flyer, dates and times to the next meeting. Members suggested launching in late September (after schools resume) and discussed Friday-evening or Saturday-morning time slots as likely options.
