Walking down Franklin Street, it was hard not to be pulled into orbit by the chatter coming that weekend from the corner of Calyer and Banker. The sounds of steady bass and laughter converged into the familiar, joyful commotion of a Brooklyn block party. Dancers grooved to Frankie Beverly while kids shrieked from the bounce house as the setting sun initiated a raffle drawing, a marching band surprise and two crowd pleasing performances.

The party, hosted by the dance production company Beyond the Black Box  in collaboration with Keigwin + Company and Triskelion Arts, took place on a sunny Saturday last month in Greenpoint. Vendors lined the block next to a host of free activities like giant Jenga, an inflatable obstacle course and mural painting. Patrons snacked on free slices of watermelon and plates of BBQ jerk chicken and hot dogs from Elevate Catering. The block party, marketed as “not a festival but a movement”, aimed to honor the power of black artistry through the performances and music.

The afternoon kicked off with dance classes taught by Barnard lecturer Tamisha Guy,  choreographer Claude “CJ” Johnson and Haus of Silk founding mother Robert “Silk” Mason. DJs LOVIE, K.TEA and DJ Auntie Spice each curated the atmosphere over the course of six hours. Walking down the Banker Street stretch, you could stop to have your tarot read, brighten your smile with new tooth gems, buy a WE NEED MORE BLACK BILLIONAIRES hat or just chat with a familiar face. An unexpected biker, at one point, parted the crowd with a tire balanced on his head. The concrete dance floor never cleared, every stoop filled with friends gabbing away.

The block party was about a year in the making and was highly anticipated after the success of  Black Black Black Week last fall and a Juneteenth celebration the group threw at House of Yes last year. (They’re doing one this year too.) The name “Beyond the Black Box” is a nod to the kind of theater space; their efforts to expand the bounds of Black artistry. The group is known for showcasing Black creators and curating community gatherings and live dance performances in New York City. 

Triskelion Arts, situated on Calyer Street, served as home base for the performers involved and a location for anyone that afternoon to be able to take free dance classes. The Brooklyn based performance venue and studio space has been around for 25 years and boasts a black box theater, four rehearsal spaces and have put on over 800 original productions on their stages. Their namesake stems from a verb they invented, trisk, which is to throw ideas around and turn them into action.

“The act of organizing with local businesses and government… just the act of planning a block party is community building,” Larry Keigwin told me. Longtime dancer and founder of Keigwin + Company, Keigwin partnered with Triskelion and Beyond the Black Box to produce the weekend event celebration. Post-Covid, Keigwin was inspired by the burst of outdoor community events, particularly those which featured dancing, and wanted to continue those. K+C funded outdoor projects like Rhapsody, a public park performance which took place at Domino Park, and community focused projects like Bolero, a choreography piece that’s been performed by a dozen casts across the U.S.

Beyond the Black Box is putting on its next party on Juneteenth at House of Yes. Tickets are free with RSVP, get them here. 

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Photos taken by Molly B. Healy.