Curtis Small took his place in front of the video camera as an ethereal portrait of his son K’Sean lit a screen on the wall behind him. He was flanked by about 20 dancers, who steeled themselves. In this big, open room, on the main floor of a mental health services center, many of them had competed against Small’s son, or traded dance steps with him, or just watched over the years as the lanky, quick-witted kid from Brooklyn made a name for himself in Harlem, one battle, one party, one joke at a time.

K’Sean Nurse, known as KShakes, had used his long, wiry limbs, humor and keen timing to cultivate a distinctive dance style that captivated audiences on social media and in concert venues. He danced for artists including King Combs, G. Dep, Busta Rhymes, Lady London and the Lost Boyz. Nurse’s stage name derived from his finding fresh nuance in the Harlem Shake — the real one — with fine control that could render the dance spastic or billowing in service of the song. His shoulders rolled for R&B and quivered for hip-hop.

ImageLucky Banks, a dancer in the Litefeet style, memorializing KShakes.Credit...Elias Williams for The New York Times

On Sept. 6, Nurse, whose viral videos, geniality and expressive power made him an icon of New York City’s street dance culture, died at 31, two days after having been shot during filming for a music video in Brooklyn. Police are still investigating. Since then, this tight-knit family has sought catharsis in a handful of tributary dance gatherings in the parks and community centers where their culture thrives, like Union Settlement in Harlem, the site of the Teen Night workshops and battles where KShakes honed his talent.

More than a month after his death, roughly 150 dancers, family and friends convened at Union Settlement to film the video for “Shakes,” an elegy performed by Small under his rap name, Bakeman Global. The song, which has gained airplay on New York’s Hot 97, has the bouncy feel of a live event and drums that evoke handclaps. Before filming began, Mr. Small addressed the group: “I thought I could do this, but it’s still kind of hard, you know? I need y’all to carry me.”

ImageTatianna Butler, the video’s director and an organizer of Teen Night.Credit...Elias Williams for The New York Times

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