HDG TRACK DEV IN A NON ADHERENCE TO AT CLRNC INSTRUCTION.

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ENRTE FROM ITH TO PHL OVER AVP WE WERE CLRED DIRECT ABE AS FILED. TURNING TOWARD ABE WE DETECTED A LINE OF SEVERE TSTMS EXTENDING FROM APPROX 15 MI E OF ABE TO THE WSW AN UNDETERMINED; BUT VERY FAR; DISTANCE. THERE WAS A BREAK IN THE LINE TO THE NNW OF ABE THAT WOULD BE SAFE TO PASS THROUGH. TO THE E AND W OF THE BREAK THERE WERE SEVERE STORMS AND SOLID SHADOWS. BTWN US AND THE BREAK THERE WAS A SMALL AREA OF PRECIPITATION. I REQUESTED DEV TO TURN E THEN SE THROUGH THE BREAK AND ON TO PHL. ZNY CLRED US S AND ADVISED US TO REMAIN ON OR TO THE W OF THE PREVIOUSLY CLRED COURSE TO REMAIN IN HIS AIRSPACE. TURNING S; THE SMALL AREA OF PRECIPITATION WAS AVOIDED AND NY WAS ADVISED WE WERE TURNING 60 DEGS L TO THE E. HE ADVISED US TO REMAIN ON OR S OF THE ORIGINALLY CLRED RTE. AT THIS POINT; WE COULD SEE THAT THE BREAK WAS SAFE TO PASS THROUGH BUT HAD MOVED SEVERAL MI E. WE WERE REACHING OUR CLRNC LIMIT OF THE ORIGINAL COURSE AND REQUESTED ANOTHER 5 OR 6 MI ON THE CURRENT HDG. NY DENIED THIS REQUEST AND INSTRUCTED US TO TURN TO THE S. WE COULD NOT COMPLY WITH HIS INSTRUCTION BECAUSE OF THE SEVERE TSTM TO THE S; AND REQUESTED A L 180 DEG TURN. HE DENIED THE REQUEST AND ASKED IF WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER. WE REPLIED NEGATIVE. HE THEN DECLARED AN EMER. WE AGAIN STATED THAT WE COULD NOT COMPLY WITH HIS INSTRUCTIONS AND WERE TURNING L TO A HDG OF 270. THE L TURN TO 270 WAS AN ATTEMPT TO REMAIN IN THE CTLR'S AIRSPACE AND CLR OF THE STORMS. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS EVENT WERE CTLR WORKLOAD: VERY HIGH. MISCOM: THE CTLR DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WANTED. AND WX: A VERY FAST MOVING LINE OF TSTMS. THIS EVENT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED WITH THE USE OF A MOVING MAP SYS THAT DISPLAYS VORS; WAYPOINTS; RADIALS; AND LIVE WX RETURNS. A GRAPHIC DISPLAY WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY USEFUL TO COORDINATE TURNS AROUND WX WHILE REMAINING WITHIN A LIMITED AIRSPACE.