Urban Stomp: Dreams & Defiance on the Dance Floor (April 11, 2025-February 2, 2026), as an exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York, grew from Mr. Washington’s research and curatorial work over the past 6 years with the first Urban Stomp (click here to view the documentary short) series that began in 2019. His professional relationships helped him borrow objects from institutions and organizations such as: Institute of Jazz Studies, Louis Armstrong House Museum & Archives, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Public Library of Performing Arts, Celia Cruz Foundation, Center for Puerto Rican Studies (Centro), Royal House of LaBeija, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Remix⟷Culture, CUNY Dominican Studies Institute, Apollo Theater, Karla Flórez School of Dance, Think!Chinatown, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Thunderbird American Indian Dancers, and private lenders such as Rubén Blades, DJ Rekha, Judy Santos, and more. 

Specifically, Dr. Washington’s ethnographic research allowed him to borrow several objects that have not been displayed together publicly. A few examples are:

• Louis Armstrong’s trumpet and original diary/manuscript

• Rubén Blades’ custom 1977 Fania All-Stars jacket

• Benny Goodman’s clarinet

• Lester Young’s saxophone

• Billie Holiday’s jewels

• Cootie Williams’ cornet

• Miles Davis’ green brass trumpet

• Jack Teagarden’s trombone

• Celia Cruz’s dress and collage of 6 of some of her most iconic shoes

• Tito Puentes custom timbales and suit

• Eddie Torres jacket as a the director of the Tito Puente Dancers

• Big Daddy Kane’s Dapper Dan sweatsuit

• Original objects from Rock Steady, Dynamic Rockers, & NYC Breakers

• Thunderbird Native American Dancers’ regalia

• Eddie Torres jacket as a the director of the Tito Puente Dancers   

• 1903 Thomas Edison phonograph with original sound horn

Relationships built over Mr. Washington’s 20+ year career as a dancer and choreographer allowed him to assemble over 90 dancers/culture bearers for the exhibition’s dance tutorial and dance floor films.