Calendar
DANCE
JAZZ AGE The big band sounds of the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra and the deep, smoky vocals of San Francisco native Mary Stallings provide the musical accompaniment tonight at Lincoln Center's outdoor dance festival, Midsummer Night Swing. Ms. Stallings began making a name for herself in the 1960s, working with luminaries, including Dizzy Gillespie, Billy Eckstine, Ella Fitzgerald, and Tony Bennett. During the Harlem Renaissance, new dances such as the Lindy Hop became the rage. Attendees can get a lesson in that uptown brand of swing at 6:30 p.m., when the New York Swing Dance Society's Margaret Batiuchok leads a class before the festival gets under way. Tonight, lesson at 6:30 p.m., festival at 7:30 p.m., through Saturday, Lincoln Center, Damrosch Park, 62nd Street, between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues, 212-875-5456, $15.
TAKING FLIGHT The 360º Dance Company performs "Maktub," at Pier 17. In the piece, choreographer Lauri Stallings, who is known for orchestrating gravity-defying sequences, pushes the dancers to shift their weight and gestures at lightning speed. The performance is part of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's Sitelines series. Through Wednesday, July 28, Monday-Wednesday, noon and 1 p.m., South Street Seaport, Pier 17, East River Drive at Fulton Street. For complete information, go to lmcc.net.
FAMILY
LITTLE GREEN THUMBS The sunken garden at Roger Morris Park serves as fertile ground for children to learn about plants, flowers, and basic gardening skills. Youngsters ages 7 to 13 accompanied by an adult companion can help build and tend to the greenery, as well as hear stories about the history and traditions of cultivating the land. Advance registration is recommended. Today and tomorrow, 1-3 p.m., Roger Morris Park, enter at 65 Jumel Terrace at 160th Street, 212-923-8008, free.
MUSEUMS
SEEING SCALES The American Museum of Natural History presents "Lizards and Snakes: Alive!" an exhibit of more than 60 live squamates, or scaled creatures. From emerald tree boas to Great Plains skinks, the show offers an introduction to creepers and crawlers from 27 different species. A hands-on section of the exhibit allows younger visitors to piece together sculptures of squamate skeletons and use an interactive program to see how lizards camouflage themselves. Museumgoers can go to amnh.org to download podcasts that correspond to the exhibit, such as "Lessons of the Gecko" and "Snake Venoms." Through Monday, January 5, daily, 10 a.m.-5:45 p.m., American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West at 79th Street, 212-769-5100, $15 general, $11 students and seniors, $8.50 for children under 12.
HEROIC FASHION The line between fiction and reality is erased in "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy," an exhibit of movie costumes, high-performance athletic wear, and cutting-edge haute couture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Through Monday, September 1, Tuesday-Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave. at 82nd Street, 212-535-7710, suggested admission $20 general, $15 seniors, $10 students, free for members and children under 12.
MUSIC
WOMEN WITH RHYTHM A Bronx-based music and dance troupe, ¡Retumba!, performs today in Maria Hernandez Park. The all-female ensemble focuses on sounds and movements rooted in the folkloric traditions of Africa, South America, and the Caribbean, with the dual purpose of educating and entertaining. Performing in traditional clothing, the women draw inspiration from countries such as Brazil, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. Today, 11 a.m., Maria Hernandez Park, between Knickerbocker and Irving avenues and Starr and Suydam streets, Bushwick, Brooklyn, free.
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