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Last summer, after a ten-foot chunk of
Pier 54 slid into the river, it was
clear that either Dance on the Pier
would have to be relocated - or else
7,000 queens would be swimming the
Hudson on Pride Sunday.
For more than twenty years, Pier 54
hosted Heritage of Pride's annual
dancing bacchanal, where divas such as
Janet Jackson, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer
Lopez, and Whitney wowed the Pride
crowds.
Welcome to the future! This year's Dance
on the Pier at Pier 57, just south of
Chelsea Piers and almost next door to
Pier 54, opened a completely new chapter
for NYC Pride's most beloved event. The
pier, built in 1952 and operated by the
Hudson River Trust, is where Madonna
held rehearsals for this year's Super
Bowl performance - and if it's good
enough for Madge, then it's gonna be
good for the gays.
Heritage of Pride converted the
gargantuan covered Marine and Aviation
pier into a massive nightclub, with
lighting rigs, stages, viewing
platforms, VIP lounges - and a dance
floor the size of two football fields.
The immense loading dock doors were
flung open to the river breezes,
providing natural air-conditioning (as
well as smoking sections) for the huge
crowd.
As soon as you grasped the immensity of
the space, filled with dancing queens
illuminated by lighting designer Guy
Smith's brilliant displays of light that
evoked the glory days of legendary clubs
such as the Saint and Studio and the
Garage, you had to close your gaping
mouth and congratulate yourself for
overcoming doubt and being at the right
party at the right time.
Former Sound Factory resident DJ Eddie
Baez opened the party with a powerful
set that fixed this event determinedly
on the future. Go-go boys and girls rose
above the crowd in cages and on
platforms, their silhouettes writhing
against a backdrop of astral video
projections. The energy was insane! The
charismatic Dutch singer-songwriter Eva
Simons took the stage and tore into her
chart topping hit, "Take Over Control"
with a ferocity befitting the lyrics,
which incited everyone to "plug it in."
The Perry Twins did exactly that,
plugging the crowd into a hook-laden set
that was as infectious as it was
energized. Well-loved for their previous
appearances at Bay Dance in Fire Island
Pines and the Pool Party for Miami
Beach's Winter Party, these twins are as
attractive as they are talented - and
their incendiary ebullience onstage
worked in perfect harmony with Smith's
breathtaking lights. One particular
highlight was the Twins' version of
Jessie J's smash hit "Domino," with its
incessant refrain "dirty dancing in the
moonlight" during which it seemed as if
the entire packed pier was soaring
through the galaxy in a state of
heightened delirium.
Late in the evening, fireworks exploded
overhead. And Cyndi Lauper performed,
followed by DJ Boris who kept the dance
floor packed until two am.
For those who might have overlooked or
forgotten one little fact about Dance on
the Pier, all proceeds benefit NYC LGBT
Pride Week events and community
organizations. This year's altruistic
sponsors included Delta, Coca Cola, Pop
Chips - and Sky Vodka and Vitamin Water
in the VIP Lounge.
Keep that in mind throughout the year -
and make sure you're at next year's
Dance on the Pier. The future of New
York Pride is here!
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