The four-time Emmy Award-winning travel dance series “Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi” is returning to screens for its fifth season next month.
The show will air on NYC Life, the flagship channel of NYC Media, on Wednesday, March 9, with it later being available on public television nationally on June 1. Hosted by executive producer, professional dancer, and host Mallozzi, the show (a co-production of NYC Media) explores the world through music and dance.
This new season of the show will look at the five boroughs as New York recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of the season, Mallozzi not only explores the city’s culturally diverse communities and celebrates the city’s resiliency through the healing power of dance and music, but also encourages New Yorkers to support small businesses and community groups as the city continues to recover from the pandemic.
“I feel very lucky that we were able to film a new season during the pandemic,” says Mallozzi. “As the vaccines were rolling out, we knew New York was going to open up again – and it has been such an honor and privilege to be able to capture this incredible moment in our history. After such a trying year and a half for everyone, it was even more important to me to showcase the diversity, cultures, arts, and small businesses that keep this city alive! At a time when many people are not yet ready to travel, we truly show that it is possible to explore the world by just using a New York City MetroCard!”
“We are thrilled to premiere the 5th season of Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi on NYC Life, NYC Media’s lifestyle channel,” said the NYC Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Anne del Castillo. “This season shines a spotlight on NYC’s diverse arts community, as Mickela features personal stories of New Yorkers and small businesses across the five boroughs. These stories will hopefully inspire viewers to explore the city, neighborhood by neighborhood, as we collectively recover from the pandemic.”
The season kicks off with Mallozzi going to Harlem to celebrate Black artists and businesses by dancing with Virginia Johnson and the renowned Dance Theatre of Harlem. She also will witness a world-premiere performance from Misty Copeland at Little Island; heads into the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater; and later teams up with the Brooklyn United Marching Band in celebration of Juneteenth.
Other highlights from season five include dancing Cuban salsa in Far Rockaway, Queens; celebrating West Indian traditions with food and soca dances in the Little Caribbean in Crown Heights, Brooklyn; learning the traditional Hawaiian hula with the Na Pua Mai Ka Lani Nuioka dance group in Corona Park, Queens; tasting her way through Main Street in Flushing, Queens with the KCS Senior Dance Team; and voguing with Cesar Valentino in celebration of Pride Month.
Check out the trailer for the new season of “Bare Feer with Mickela Mallozzi” below.
