Dance, Readings, Music & More: Upcoming Events For Kids Around Ditmas Park

Nora Whelan -


Summer sports are great and all, but sometimes little New Yorkers just want to take in some art and culture! Here are a few of the coolest events coming up that fit the bill–for kids, and sometimes even by kids.

  • California-based band Ozomatli is playing a free Celebrate Brooklyn! concert at the Prospect Park Bandshell this Saturday, June 14 in honor of children’s book author Ezra Jack Keats. BRICArts describes the sextet as “a supercollider of hip-hop and salsa, dancehall and cumbia, samba and funk, merengue and comparsa, East LA R&B and New Orleans second line, Jamaican ragga and Indian raga, and anything else you might hear driving through the melting pot of Los Angeles with your windows down.” Besides the music, those who attend the 4pm event will get to experience Keats readings from Brooklynite Mark Stewart.
  • Local choreographer Alden LaPaglia’s company Alden Moves is showcasing the talents of local tiny dancers this Saturday, June 14 with “Black Tie Optional” at the Flatbush Reformed Church House (890 Flatbush Avenue on the corner of Church Avenue). Kids and adults are all invited to dress up, enjoy virgin cocktails with recipes donated by The Dogwood, and honor old Hollywood glamour! Besides Alden Moves students, the event will feature performances by MAC Award-winner Bill Zeffiro and jazz virtuoso/composer Richard Bliwas. Tickets purchased ahead of time include two free drinks, but those at the door do not. Enter the FRC property from Church Avenue between E 21st Street and Flatbush Avenue by 4:15pm tomorrow for the sure-to-be-adorable “red carpet arrivals.”
  • Le Ballon Rouge sing alongs for kids one to two and a half years old, which feature puppets, dancing, storytelling, and more, are at Lark (1007 Church Avenue between E 10th Street and Stratford Road) at 10am every Monday until July 6. You can learn more about LBR, neighbor Shumin Ma‘s French kids’ program, here–then contact LBRfrench@gmail.com for details on enrollment and pricing.
  • Latin Fever Dance Studio (1609 Cortelyou Road between E 16th and E 17th Streets) will showcase 10 years of students’ hard work next Saturday, June 21, at the Flatbush Reformed Church. The event will be held in the church’s basement (doors at 3:30pm, show 4-6pm), and attendees can look forward to tap, salsa, hip hop, and ballet performances. Tickets ($15) will be on sale at the studio on Saturday, June 14 from 1:30-3pm on a first come, first served basis.

Photo via Le Ballon Rouge