\n<\/p>\n
As the train to Ronkonkoma pulled into Penn Station, Jason Lockhorn threw his arms up, bending his elbows like goal posts. But he wasn\u2019t a frustrated commuter. He was dancing.<\/p>\n
And he wasn\u2019t the only one. Nearby, a man and woman twirled in the sinuous style of partner dance called Brazilian Zouk and groups of K-pop dancers swerved their hips in unison. Passengers flowed out of elevators, some stopping to watch, some rushing by with their luggage.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you ever want to find the culmination of what New York is as a culture, but expressing itself through dance,\u201d Lockhorn, 24, said, \u201cthis is a good place to find it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Penn Station, the transit hub for hurrying commuters and Amtrak riders, has a side gig. Its wide, lower level corridor \u2014 specifically the passageway leading to the Moynihan Train Hall from Track 7 to Track 16 of the Long Island Rail Road \u2014 is an unlikely dance studio.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Officially called the West End Concourse, the corridor has a lot going for it: It\u2019s easily accessible, the floors are spacious and smooth, and there are public restrooms, a rarity<\/a> in New York City.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a ready-made stage for all sorts of group and partnered dance, including hip-hop, K-pop and salsa. Reflective glass windows overlooking the tracks double as mirrors. Rows of blue lights overhead make for pleasing visuals when filmed. The biggest draw? It\u2019s free.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Lockhorn, who leads the Foolish Funkateers<\/a>, a Campbellocking<\/a> or locking group, said his group began dancing at Penn Station last year after seeing K-pop dancers post videos from the concourse on social media. On warmer days, the Foolish Funkateers often meet outdoors near City Hall.<\/p>\n But, Lockhorn said, \u201cthis is what we call home on days where we can\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Groups stake out a section of the corridor, typically spanning one or two train tracks, to make a kind of mini studio. The slanted windows descend into a flat ledge, perfect for resting water bottles, speakers and cellphones that capture polished choreography.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The only drawback, said Destiny Rodriguez, a K-pop dancer with the group V3RS Crew NYC<\/a>, is that it\u2019s louder than a studio. \u201cIt\u2019s more open,\u201d she said. \u201cBut we still work with it, and we get everything done perfectly.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Penn Station\u2019s lower level isn\u2019t really a substitute for a light-flooded New York dance studio. But in Manhattan, renting that kind of space can cost<\/a> $35 to $150 an hour. It\u2019s a prohibitive price for the dancers, mostly unpaid, who spend many hours preparing for performances and competitions or creating videos for fun.<\/p>\n And the transit hub has at least one thing those studios lack: random audiences who are quickly delighted.<\/p>\n Luke Fletcher, who had come to New York on a day trip from Boston with his 15-year-old son, said he was charmed to see dancers while waiting for his train home. \u201cI just find it amazing,\u201d he said, \u201cthat even during the week, they\u2019re doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n