Harris Theater Presents

LayeRhythm

LayeRhythm Productions, Inc.

Performances

Sep 7

Event Run Time: 4 hours

Event Timeline:
4:00PM: Rooftop and food vendors open, DJ set begins
5:00PM: LayeRhythm
5:45PM: DJ
6:30PM: LayeRhythm
7:15PM: DJ
8:00PM: Evening concludes

Experience the vibrant fusion of live music, street dance, and crowd interaction with LayeRhythm on the Harris Theater rooftop!

Led by Mai Lê Hô and featuring a cast of performers from NYC and Chicago, LayeRhythm blurs the lines between concert and social dance. Inspired by the rich, raw tapestry of street and club cultures, the event is a unique blend of freestyle live music, dance, and audience participation.

Don't miss this evening filled with infectious rhythms and captivating performances, punctuated by DJ sets to keep the energy flowing. From 4:00 PM, when the doors open, to the final beat at 8:00 PM, immerse yourself in the magic of LayeRhythm. This program is presented in partnership with Chicago Dancemakers Forum.

LayeRhythm Participating Artists:
Mai Lê - AD/dancer
Osyris Antham - MC
Sims - Musician (keyboard)
Peter John Joel Henry - Musician (bass)
David G Frazier Jr. - Musician (drums)
KiNen - Dancer
Bless - Dancer
Nebz - Dancer
Karina "Killarina" Rivera - Dancer
Mike D Chicago - Dancer

"[LayeRhythm is a] brew of partying and performing that unfolds as a series of interactive sessions in which suggestions from the crowd beget songs and steps. Imagine an improv comedy show where dancing, not laughs, is the currency. Then imagine a musicians’ jam session where the band is compelled to keep the dancers’ pace instead of the other way around. [...] [W]hat’s distinct about LayeRhythm is the way it bridges the two groups with crowd participation" — The New York Times

A man on stage looks out onto the audience while playing the keyboard.

A spotlight hits Mai Le on stage while they perform.

LayeRhythm Productions, Inc. (LPI) highlights freestyle dance and music voices under-recognized in the traditional performing arts landscape while providing entertainment, building community through play, educating audiences in cultural history, preserving the legacy of street & club dance forms, transforming individuals’ relationship to music & dance and supporting emotional & social well-being. LayeRhythm is dedicated to risk-taking improvisation and interactive audience engagement through performances and educational events.

Since 2015, LayeRhythm (LR), led by Founder/Artistic Director Mai Lê Hô, has offered NYC 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, Bridge Street Theater, 92NY Harkness Dance Center, Movement Research at Judson Church, Abrons Arts Center, The National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Spiegeltent at Bard College, NYU Skirball, Lincoln Center, SummerStage, NY Public Library for the Performing Arts, Gibney, The Church (Sag Harbor), Manhattan West Plaza, and presented by Works & Process at the Guggenheim Museum. LayeRhythm was selected by CUNY Dance Initiative for residencies at Brooklyn College for the Performing Arts (2021-2022) & Baruch College (2023-2024), and was nominated National Dance Institute’s Helen Stambler Neuberger Artist-in-Residence (2022-2023). LR has partnered w/ 92NY, 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.