¡Arriba!: Celebrate the High Line’s Birthday at our Fiesta in the Sky

Although advance registration is full, walk-up attendees are welcome if ¡Arriba! is not at capacity.

Dance the night away as we celebrate the High Line's 15th birthday. Groove to the live tunes of Las Mariquitas—New York City’s energetic queer and trans salsa band—and master your moves with expert dance instruction by Fuákata. You’ll also enjoy an international cross-section of dance music by DJ Mickey Pérez. Don’t miss this magical summer evening where the park transforms into an open-air dance floor, celebrating the High Line and one of our most popular and longest-running events. All ages are welcome.

On summer evenings, the High Line transforms from a park to an open-air dance floor where New Yorkers and visitors come together to enjoy the sounds of local salsa legends and learn dance moves from the best in NYC. Whether you’re an experienced salsa dancer or just excited to learn, come join us for ¡Arriba! and see why it’s the High Line’s longest-running public program. This intergenerational event is open to the public.

6 – 6:15pm | Salsa music set by DJ Mickey Pérez

6:15 – 6:45pm | Salsa lessons by Fuákata

7 – 7:15pm | Salsa music set by DJ Mickey Pérez

7:15 – 8:15pm | Live salsa performance by Las Mariquitas

8:15 – 9pm | International dance music set by DJ Mickey Pérez

Advance registration is encouraged. Walk-ups are welcome if the event isn’t at capacity. ¡Arriba! is rain or shine—the event is fully covered. We encourage all persons with disabilities to attend. To request additional information regarding accessibility or accommodations at a program, please contact programs@thehighline.org. Program venues are accessible via wheelchair, and ASL interpretation can be arranged two weeks in advance.

DJ Mickey Pérez

Chicago born & Miami raised, Mickey Pérez is a first generation American of Cuban & Ecuadorian descent who’s been putting down the funkiest rhythms to New York City dance floors since 2008. A Brooklyn resident since 2002, Mickey represents & presents a non-commercial, diasporic sound irrespective of national borders spanning many different styles of dance music across Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Brasil & Black America. Mickey currently has a regular monthly show on NYC's The Lot Radio titled Radio BeBop Porú which runs concurrently as a monthly to bi-monthly dance party in Brooklyn & Miami. In 2022, he launched a community based summer music series for all ages with Toribio (Conclave/BDA) called Public Service that runs monthly across neighborhood parks in Bed-Stuy & Bushwick in Brooklyn.

Las Mariquitas

Las Mariquitas is New York’s Queer and Trans Salsa band, a political liberation project. Las Mariquitas celebrates the community of LGBTQIA+ salseres by creating an affirming, safe space. Las Mariquitas shares the stage with queer and trans dance leaders, embracing a culture of consent on the dance floor. Las Mariquitas works to honor the legacy of salsa as liberation music by writing new queer and transfeminist songs for the canon.

Las Mariquitas es el grupo de salsa Queer y Trans de Nueva York, un proyecto de liberación política. Las Mariquitas sigue celebrando a la comunidad de salseres LGBTQIA+, creando un espacio seguro. Las Mariquitas comparte la escena con bailarines queer y trans, aprovechando una cultura de consentimiento en el piso de baile. Las Mariquitas honran la historia de la salsa como música de liberación, escribiendo nuevas canciones queer y transfeministas para el canon.

Fuákata

Christopher Rogicki was born in New Jersey and it was during college that he was first exposed to Cuban Salsa, Son, Rueda de Casino, and Timba. He has studied at prominent Casino/Cuban Dance schools and with teachers throughout the US, Miami, Havana, Santiago de Cuba, México, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland. Chris is the former director of MEZCLA, the Latino Performing Arts group at Brown University, where he taught and performed at various expos and televised events throughout New England. Upon returning to NYC, Chris implemented a progressive Son Cubano, Casino and Rueda curriculum and founded Fuákata. Fuákata strives to showcase the beauty of Cuban Salsa, its evolution, and the diversity of styles it embodies through weekly classes, social events, and organized group excursions to Cuba. Co-directed by Evelyn Ramirez, the group is comprised of both a student and pro Casino and Rueda team, with notable performances including the San Francisco Salsa Rueda Festival, Latino Heritage month events at Columbia University and NYU, Lincoln Center, PBS, NBC4 in Providence, RI, and SALSAtlanta, to name a few. Fuákata currently offers 15 progressive levels of classes in Rueda de Casino, Casino, Son, and Salsa Suelta on a weekly basis in midtown Manhattan for the past 24 years.

Photo Consent:

By attending this event, you agree that photos and/or video footage of you may be taken, and you grant your permission to Friends of the High Line and its agents/licensees to use such photos/footage for promotional and other purposes.

Accessibility:

We encourage all persons with disabilities to attend. To request additional information regarding accessibility or accommodations at a program, please contact email here programs@thehighline.org. Program venues are accessible via wheelchair, and ASL interpretation can be arranged two weeks in advance.

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