A Lazy Sunday Afternoon in Central Park New York

I always strive to find something unique or something that can only be found in New York City, so with camera in hand, I went to Central Park this past Sunday. Of course, the standard fair for summer in Central Park are the bicyclist, the horse drawn carraiges and just the casual strollers. I entered the park at 72nd Street on the West Side and I heard music off in the distance. So I surmised; where there is music there art people.

Lo and behold, I came across a large crowd of people standing behind barricades and lining the perimeter of an oval. Inside this oval, in the center was a DJ booth and around this oval were people roller skating to old style club and disco music.

There were couples, roller skate daredevils, children and some adults as old as 68 years old--all on roller skates, moving and body spinning to the music. One gentlemen named Kelly had his own headphones on and was shirtless and was skating backwards around the oval and all the while avoiding other skaters.

The organizers of this group, clad in purple, let it be known that all were welcome to don a pair of skates and join in but with one prerequisite: Leave the negativity outside the barricades! After watching the skaters for awhile and seeing that they have been doing this for quite some time, it's easy to see why such a large crowd was at this "event". It does not go without saying that roller dancing is very good exercise and good clean fun and to see this in the middle of Central Park was interested and a pretty good way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon.

It was apparent that most of the skaters were older but not old people who grew up in a simpler time. Some newbies or people for our current generation might want to venture to Central Park on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, close to the 72nd Street, West Side entrance and follow the music. The skaters will show how when they were growing up, they lived in a simpler, easier time.

I was about to leave for the day, when the dj (DJ E) put on MFSB's Love is the Message, arguably the still reigning national anthem of the New York club and dance circuit. How could I not capture "The Message" on video with roller skaters grooving to this?



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These roller skating dancers are usually in Central Park on Saturday and Sunday between 2 and 6:30pm. Come check it out. It's good, clean fun.