The New York Historical will open a new exhibition titled You Should Be Dancing: New York, 1976 and Beyond, running from Oct. 2, 2026, through April 4, 2027. Curated by Ted Widmer alongside associate curator Allison Robinson and consulting curator Cristian Petru Panaite, the show examines the simultaneous rise of punk, disco, and hip hop during the city’s 1970s financial crisis.
Exhibits trace the era through historical objects, television clips, news broadcasts, and period artifacts, including Jimmy Carter’s speech reading copy from the 1976 Democratic National Convention and Robert De Niro’s taxi driver license and flannel shirt from Taxi Driver. Displayed items also include publicity stills from Saturday Night Live, a Welcome Back, Kotter lunchbox, and the withdrawn formal petition declaring the city’s bankruptcy.
The early punk movement is featured through a re-creation of the CBGB stage, a Fender guitar signed by Dee Dee Ramone, a Patti Smith dress shirt, cover art for Punk Magazine, and handwritten lyrics by Richard Hell. Visitors can view concert footage and listen to audio clips from groups including the Ramones, Talking Heads, the Velvet Underground, and the New York Dolls.
Disco’s expansion across the five boroughs is documented with an original Studio 54 mirror, an opening night invitation, platform shoes, and James McMullan watercolors created for the New York magazine article that inspired Saturday Night Fever. The hip hop section showcases early DJ artifacts, including the earliest known party flyer by DJ Kool Herc, a disco ball from 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, boomboxes, and handwritten lyrics to “The Breaks” by Kurtis Blow.
An opening evening program titled The Gritty City: NYC From Crisis to Comeback will take place Oct. 1 featuring moderator Peter-Christian Aigner alongside panelists Ted Widmer, Tricia Rose, and Marky Ramone, followed by a dance party with DJ Nicky Siano. Public ticket sales, family guides, October story times, and private group tour bookings are offered directly through the venue.
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