[...] The same could be said of the cast of “Festival of Dreams,” a presentation of Crossing the Line and Dancing in the Streets directed by Mr. Linyekula and Moya Michael. Twenty-one dancers from It’s Showtime NYC, a program that supports the professional development of subway dancers, each had moments to shine, breaking out backflips, handstands, gliding footwork and spidery contortions. But more indelible was how fluidly they worked together, passing energy to whoever was in the spotlight. When they formed a circle, the edges were never static.

Street and subway dancing may be seen by onlookers as either a form of expression or a talent showcase. Yet others consider one or both as more of a hindrance.

It’s Showtime NYC is focusing on the former.

It’s Showtime NYC was created in 2015 as a pilot program of Dancing in the Streets — a public performance program in the South Bronx. The aim of the program is to provide a supportive and developmental infrastructure for street and subway dancers in NYC, to be able to practice and develop this unique NYC art form without being arrested. The program also advocates for the value of hip-hop as a powerful and expressive art form and lifestyle, and seeks to create viable, remunerative, and legal careers in the arts for street and subway dancers.

Commuters on the New York subway are accustomed to the sight of lone breakdancers bursting into the carriage to flip down the aisle or swing from the poles. On any given week, it is estimated that hundreds of performers strut their stuff in the city’s tunnels. Though the most talented can earn a living and a sizeable social media following, they risk arrest on a daily basis in order to practise their art. Crackdowns have landed more than a few in jail, including some with no other criminal record.

Enter It’s Showtime NYC, a programme that recruits top talent by offering them the chance to stop dodging the cops and take their act above ground and above board.

It’s Showtime NYC, a city-funded program, offers train performers a route to above-ground stages.

“Remember, ladies and gentlemen, dancing is not a crime. It is art.” The presenter uttered this phrase on Sunday, as he ushered the crowd along a lean, wooden platform near the back end of Weeksville Heritage Center’s garden, in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Behind him, spread across a lawn, 20 hip-hop dancers popped, flexed and curled their bodies with ease, seemingly oblivious to the 90-degree heat drenching their bodies in sweat. The hour-long spectacle concluded a two-week residence undertaken by the performers with the famous Congolese choreographer, Faustin Linyekula, as part of the Crossing the Line performance festival. What’s more, it was the direct outcome of a greater effort, led by the nonprofit It’s Showtime NYC, to offer street dancers legal alternatives to dancing illicitly in subway cars.

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The intersection known as the Hub in the Bronx’s Melrose neighborhood is the second-busiest place in New York City. Only Times Square sees more foot traffic. It’s where East 149th Street, and Willis, Melrose and Third Avenues converge. In the center of the Hub, flanked by busy streets, rests a large swath of concrete known as the Roberto Clemente Plaza. For the homeless, it’s a place to sleep. For dealers, it’s a place to push product. For most, it’s a shortcut on their daily commute. But on Saturday, it was a stage where the It’s Showtime NYC! street dancers, under the guidance of the world-renowned choreographer, Faustin Linyekula, performed “Festival of Dreams.”

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