BAC Folk Arts program works with Brooklyn-based folk and traditional artists and their communities to preserve and support arts that express the borough's diverse living heritage. This year's FIGHT NIGHT team introduces: El Conjunto Folklorico de Alianza Dominicana, The Brooklyn Mutants, BombaYo's Melinda Gonzalez and Dr. Drum Ortiz and Ralph King Uprock Casanova with Big Vic. 

Ramon Brito and Jhibielys Ventura of El Conjunto Folkerico de Alianza Dominicana perform a segment of a challenge dance known as masquerade or wild indian, part of Dominican Republic's Cocolo dance drama traditions( buloya). These dances, declared 'Masterpieces of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity' by UNESCO were brought to Santo Domingo by late 19th C sugar cane workers from the West Indies, and are continued here in Brooklyn by troupe Director Ivan Dominguez. Ralph King Uprock Casanova, leader of Dynasty Rockers with guest dancer Big Vic of the Devil Rebels brings Brooklyn's old school street dance 'the rock dance- to the ring. Later known as uprock it was first performed in Bushwick by rockers who incorporated 1960s outlaw-influenced moves like burns and jerks into the dance. Eventually over 100 Brooklyn dance crews were battling in parks, church basements and organized contests. King Uprock earned his name at a 1980 battle. Storyboard Professoar (Saalim Muslim) and Hob-E (Habby Jacques) of the dance team Brooklyn Mutants are members of Ciruclock street dance circus, directed by premier locker Shock-a-lock. This new school lineup continues in the old school Brooklyn tradition of street dance flexing, emphasizing contortionism, bone breaks and hovers to flex dancers into new street dance mutations. Melinda Gonzalez and Jose 'Dr. Drum' Ortiz, perform bomba, Puerto Rico's oldest native art form. It is an Afro-Puerto Rican dance and song, in which dancers alternate paseos with improvised steps (piquetes), that dictate the rhythms played on the barril drum. Ortiz and Gonzalez make frequent trips to Puerto Rico to study regional styles with master bomberos and co-directer BombaYo, a youth performing troupe and cultural project.