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This Video May Change Your Mind About The Subway's Showtime Dancers
By
Jen Carlson
Published Mar 21, 2016
Modified Mar 21, 2016
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Mar 21, 2016
Modified Mar 21, 2016
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Some people like to complain about the city's Showtime dancers, something I've never understood—if you can't appreciate some kids dancing on your commute home after a long day, do you even enjoy life?
Oh, you're afraid they'll make contact with your body? When is the last time you even heard about a Showtime dancer injuring a straphanger, seriously. And if they do, it's a badge of honor—as someone probably said once, you ain't a real New Yorker until you've been kicked in the face by a subway performer.
Maybe this video—which aims to document "a changing city that is losing culture and character"—will change your mind about hearing those two beautiful words: "IT'S SHOOOOOOWWWWTIME!"
The short, called "Erosion," features dancers Dayrome “Bad Day” Wright, Kester “Flexx” Estephane, Anthony “Laiden” John and Makaveli Qu, and is a collaboration between Brandon Bloch, Tim Sessler and Brandon Bray. They explain:
"The goal was to make a visually stylized piece that captures how we see New York City changing around us. Every New Yorker is familiar with Showtime dancers cheering up a full subway car—though these days dancers get arrested instead of earning tips for their talents. Dancers are being forced out of the subway and now have alternative events like 'Its Showtime NYC' to legally dance above ground. Moving towards a landscape of sterile glass high rises. It is a safe, clean, boring new world!"
More recommended viewing: here's a video of Showtime dancers bustin' a move in the forest.
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it's showtime
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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