Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor, 1980Â 1983

Asthe1970sgavewaytothe80s,NewYork'spartysceneenteredaferociouslyinventiveperiodcharacterizedbyitscreativity,intensity,andhybridity.LifeandDeathontheNewYorkDanceFloorchroniclesthistumultuoustime,chartingthesonicandsocialeruptionsthattookplaceinthecity'ssubterraneanpartyvenuesaswellasthewaytheycultivatedbreakthroughmovementsinart,performance,video,andfilm.InterviewingDJs,partyhosts,producers,musicians,artists,anddancers,TimLawrenceillustrateshowtherelativelydiscretepost-disco,post-punk,andhiphopscenesbecamemarkedbytheirlevelofplurality,interaction,andconvergence.HealsoexplainshowtheshiftingurbanlandscapeofNewYorksupportedtheculturalrenaissancebeforegentrification,Reaganomics,corporateintrusion,andthespreadofAIDSbroughtthisgrittyandproteantimeandplaceinAmericanculturetoatroubleddenouement.