CORY REYNOLDS | DATE 5/26/2011

ARTBOOK | D.A.P. and BOOKFORUM Celebrate BEA 2011 at the Mondrian Hotel, New York

ARTBOOK | D.A.P. and BOOKFORUM magazine hosted a wild soiree on top of New York's Mondrian hotel last night, in celebration of BookExpo, America's most important annual publishing conference. Music was provided by Soul Jazz, publisher of Voguing and the Gay Balls of New York City, Chantal Regnault's highly anticipated forthcoming book of photographs of the gay ballroom scene that emerged in Harlem in the 1980s. A special performance, organized by artist Rashaad Newsome, paid tribute to the old school balls featured in Regnault's book, with some seriously updated moves thrown in. As the sun set, a crowd of hundreds cheered the dancers on, 26 dizzying stories above the streets of lower Manhattan. Below: Part II of "Hair Affair" by Rashaad Newsome.

Performa founder RoseLee Goldberg with Knight Landesman, publisher of ARTFORUM and BOOKFORUM.

Tosh Berman, book buyer for Book Soup and publisher of TamTam Books with his wife, artist Luna Menoh.

ARTBOOK | D.A.P. president and publisher Sharon Helgason Gallagher with Stu Abraham, founder of Abraham Associates.

Leanne Shapton, noted illustrator, author and co-founder of J&L Books, right, with friend.

Erin Dunigan of ARTBOOK | D.A.P. with Maria Marchenkova of MoMA Publications.

Eleanor Strehl and David Hunter of ARTBOOK | D.A.P. with Herbert Pfostl, author of To Die No More, publisher of Blind Pony Books and Paper Graveyard, and book buyer for the New Museum.

Newsome's performance began with three stunning female dancers, swinging their heads in fierce unison with warp speed.

An electrifying fourth dancer in a custom black-and-green ensemble and heavy glasses captivated the audience the minute he stepped into the mix. He made his entrace at the very moment the sky changed from pink to purple, beyond, no way beyond, the Hudson River.