Dance Jam With LayeRhythm

Last January, the interactive, freestyle performance platform LayeRhythm made its debut at The Church in Sag Harbor Village and left a lasting, invigorating impact on the community.

On Saturday, January 27, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., The Church welcomes LayeRhythm back in 2024 with yet another Dance Jam Session and party, where the audience plays an active role in the dance and music output throughout the performance. Bring the whole family, as the collective is dedicated to serving transformative art experiences to all-age audiences.

Through a series of improvisational games, LayeRhythm blurs the line between spectator and performer by collecting audience ideas and incorporating them into the music, lyric, and movements of the musicians, emcee and dancers.

Founded by French-Vietnamese street/club dance artist, educator and curator, Mai Lê Hô, LayeRhythm’s music and dance styles range from hip hop, funk, soul, house music, popping, locking, flexN, breaking, Detroit jit, house dance and more. Learn a move or two as the dancers showcase their talents and highlight the vibrant culture of street and club dances. The evening has been structured to include dance party breaks in between performances, emphasizing LayeRhythm’s mission of building community through play and transforming individuals’ relationship to music and dance. Concessions will be available for purchase at the event.

LayeRhythm will feature Ivan Cofield aka boy Heat Rock (breaking/popping), Daniel D Drum (drummer), Ksenia Vasileva (bassist), Mai Lê Hô (house dance), Kaleb Hopkins (keyboardist), Cal Hunt (flexN), Amir Idris aka RQTek (emcee) and Mike Manson (Detroit jit).

Since 2015, LayeRhythm (LR), led by founder/artistic director Mai Lê Hô, has offered New York City monthly interactive, improvisational street/club music and dance jam sessions at Meridian 23 and Nublu, as well as performances at venues/festivals such as Jacob’s Pillow, the Guggenheim Museum, Lincoln Center, Bridge Street Theater, 92NY Harkness Dance Center, SummerStage, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Gibney, The Church, Movement Research at Judson Church, Abrons Arts Center, The National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Spiegeltent at Bard College, NYU Skirball, Manhattan West Plaza. LayeRhythm was selected by CUNY Dance Initiative for residencies at Brooklyn College for the Performing Arts (2021-2022) and Baruch College (2023-2024), and was nominated National Dance Institute’s Helen Stambler Neuberger Artist-in-Residence (2022-2023). LR has partnered with 92NY, Works & Process at the Guggenheim, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, Hook Arts Media, Queens County Farm Museum, PotaY, Teatro Yerbabruja, Hi-Arts, Rolling Stone. Its educational and professional development programs have been hosted at/supported by Hunter College, Fordham High School for the Performing Arts, Ladies of Hip-Hop x Snipes studio and the Brooklyn Arts Council.

Tickets to the event are $25 ($20 members, $10 for children 12 and under) at thechurchsagharbor.org. The Church is at 48 Madison Street, Sag Harbor.