Dance Parade New York 2012

Dance Parade is an annual dance festival and parade to promote dance as an expressing and unifying art form by showcasing all forms of dance. Earlier this afternoon, dancing on the streets of Manhattan began at 21st Street and headed down Broadway and University Place to 8th Street, then turned toward Tompkins Square Park for the dance fest from 3 to 7 p.m. The parade showcased more than 50 unique styles of dancing from 144 dance groups. Even Occupy Wall Street protesters joined the parade. The event was organized by Dance Parade, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Occupy Wall Street Protesters Assemble on the Steps of Federal Hall

Occupy Wall Street protesters have been assembling on the steps of Federal Hall, which is under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. The NYPD and the Park police soon barricaded the protesters into an area on one half of the steps, called the "First Amendment Rights Area." According to the rules, if there are more than 25 protesters on the steps, they require a permit, or face arrest. Federal Hall in Lower Manhattan is where the First Congress met and wrote the Bill of Rights.