Outdoor dancing events on Long Island
Summer is the time to boogie down in the great outdoors. Long Island offers multiple opportunities — many of them free — to dance under the stars, regardless of your age, ability, or favorite type of music.
Social dancing especially, can enhance your whole life, says Dr. Helena Blumen, professor and vice chair of Research in Neurology at Stony Brook University’s Renaissance School of Medicine. She studies lifestyle factors associated with healthy aging and brain health.
Elena Austin hosts a line dancing event at the Bandshell at Jones Beach State Park. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
"Social dancing has been shown to reduce risk for dementia, improve balance and gait, and there is preliminary evidence that participating in social dancing might have a positive effect on cognitive function in aging," she says.
Line dancing is an easy way to start. You don't need a partner or to be an athlete, and often, instructors are on hand to help newbies step, shuffle, heel-toe and turn in choreographed unison.
Billy Ray Cyrus's hit "Achy Breaky Heart" launched a resurgence of country line dancing in 1992; more recently, Beyoncé's 2024 "Texas Hold 'Em" has inspired new audiences.
From country line dancing to salsa, here's where you can go dancing this summer.
Country line dancing at the Jones Beach Bandshell
Field 4, 1 Ocean Pkwy., Wantagh
Instructor Elena Mirecki, 58, of Stony Brook, leads free country line dances at the Jones Beach Bandshell on Wednesdays from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. through Aug. 27.
From left, Mark Huber, sisters Annabella and Elyssa Maffetone and Jennifer DeMeo and Ray Swartz participate in a line dancing event at the Bandshell at Jones Beach State Park. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
"It’s like a party every Wednesday," Mirecki says. "We have people from 5 to 95. Some people have been doing it for years, but others are beginners, so I jump on the stage and give a little lesson. I will call a few walls [sections of the dance] until they learn the sequence," she says.
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Hump Day Hoedowns at Dublin Deck
325 River Ave., Patchogue
Rosemary Conetta, of Farmingville, center, and Jerry Lopiccolo, of Holtsville, right, dance to the country music of Locmore during Humpday Hoedown at Dublin Deck in Patchogue. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
Farther east, dancers don cowboy hats and boots for Hump Day Hoedowns on Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., where instructor Natalie Boyle leads dancers to live music by perennial local favorites SouthBound LI, Locmore and DJ sets. "She teaches while we are setting up; then we’ll play the song she just taught," says SouthBound leader, Michael DeLuca.
MORE INFO dublindeck.com
Sunday Therapy at Kennedy Park
335 Greenwich St., Hempstead
Embrace line dancing’s soulful side when Chellie Jenkins, of Freeport, leads Long Island Soul Sliders featuring Sunday Therapy on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. . The therapy is for real; dancers vibe to R&B, Motown, funk and more, while making lasting friendships and planning dance trips together. "The socializing is worth a million dollars right there," says Jenkins. "There are all demographics, age groups, religions; they just want to dance." Bonus: Sunday Therapy moves indoors at Kennedy Park for rain or excessive heat.
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Freestyle Thursdays at The Boat Yard
1 Ocean Pkwy., Massapequa
The '80s revival goes full throttle from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Thursdays bayside at Tobay Beach with Forever Freestyle Band and DJ Tommy Nappi of WKTU fame playing hits by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Shannon and others. Look for special guests like TKA. Cover is $10-$20 depending on performers. 21 and over.
MORE INFO theboatyardny.com
Monday Night Dances in the Park at Mitchell Park
115 Front St., Greenport
People dance to the music of Gene Casey and the Lone Sharks during the Dances in the Park series at Mitchell Park in Greenport. Credit: Randee Daddona
The free dance event is a beloved Greenport tradition. Conceived in the early 2000s to give locals a chance to enjoy their own village after the weekend tourist crush, a varied roster of bands, including rock, Latin, reggae, and funk, plays in Mitchell Park by the marina, while folks picnic on the grass, chat with neighbors, and take spins on the dance floor. "Greenport is a wonderfully eclectic town and we wanted to see everyone dancing, so we have been very intentional about making it varied," says Mary Vines, who is on the organizing committee.
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