Battery Dance presents The 41st Annual Battery Dance Festival at Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park
Battery Dance celebrates the 41st Anniversary of its free summer festival from August 13-20, 2022, in partnership with Battery Park City Authority. The 41st Annual Battery Dance Festival will feature in-person and live-streamed performances, staged at Wagner Park, Battery Park City, New York City at 7PM ET from August 13-19. A closing night event and VIP reception will be held August 20, 2022, at 6PM at The Schimmel Center. Reaching both local and international audiences, the Festival promotes Battery Dance’s mission of connecting the world through dance. For more information, visit batterydance.org/battery-dance-festival/.
Battery Dance Festival, New York City’s longest-running free public dance festival, was established by Battery Dance as the Downtown Dance Festival in 1982. Pre-pandemic, it drew audiences of approximately 2,000 people each night in its iconic setting. The Festival went virtual in 2020, attracting 30,000 viewers across 206 countries. In 2021, it ran as a hybrid model with over 10,000 in-person and over 21,000 virtual audience members. This year, the Festival returns to welcome in-person and livestreamed audiences.
“Lady Liberty might be tempted to shimmy and shake as dance companies from near and far take the stage at Wagner Park once again this summer. Audiences will have a tough time deciding which performance to attend. So I have a suggestion: keep your entire week free so you don’t miss a single one of the great performances that our curators have selected for your delectation!” said Battery Dance Founder Jonathan Hollander.
August 13, 2022 at 7pm at Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park
Young Voices in Dance, celebrating the next generation of choreographers.
Sydney Burtis, The Difference
“The Difference” is a tap dance work that fuses sound and movement to take you on a journey through both jazz and contemporary music. With these differing genres of music at play, the dancers hope to inspire feelings of positivity, self-worth, and community, as they can make a lasting difference in your life.
Zachary Seto, Nostalgic Beings of Synesthesia – NYC Premiere
“Nostalgic Beings of Synesthesia” is the continuation of constant conversations, the dialogue of speaking in a language unknown to humankind. It explores the physical experience of undulating spiritual verbal dialect through movement. Canadian choreographer Zachary Seto channels the constant flow of infinite gold light and spiraling energy that surrounds us.
Camryn and Courtney Spero, Distance
“Distance” investigates what it means to be part of a collective and how to reconcile the fleeting time and space we have to explore the relations within it. Set to New Order’s 80s synth-pop track “Blue Monday,” the juxtaposition of artificial kicks with deadpan vocals introduces questions of superficiality and authenticity in our interactions, as dancers enter and exit formation, are caught in repetition, and groove on and off the relentless beat.
Kate Louissaint, Bird’s Eye – World Premiere
How do we process things we can’t see? This piece is an exploration of sisterhood, fear, and learning when to fight versus when to surrender. It is a contemporary/modern based trio that relies heavily on the instrumentation, and the imagination of the audience.
Lerato Ragontse, In Between Change
“In Between Change” focuses on the beauty of technique. The piece emphasizes the importance of allowing yourself to appreciate the journey that leads to success. Through breath, the dancers showcase their elegance and strength while expressing the importance of breathing and letting things be, even if that means change.
Anya Susan, In Conversation
“In Conversation,” created in 2020 and reworked in 2022, is a work about the reflection of the selves. With no true characterization of a ‘younger’ or ‘older’ self, it is meant to depict how the information learned throughout one’s life can and will influence our future choices and responses. Without ever letting go of these identities, we learn to integrate and adapt. Reworking the piece in 2022 affirms this concept, providing a time capsule into the choreographer’s then 18 year old mind that she gets to reexamine at 20.
Myles King, The Last Foundry
“The Last Foundry” navigates the complex relationship between power and vulnerability. While power and vulnerable struggle to coexist in society, this work highlights that they can. The choreographic process of this piece was highly collaborative with the dancers who are within the minority community and highlight the power and vulnerability that we all possess as minority people within the world.
Shannon Harkins, Dreams and Nightmares of a Mutant People – NYC Premiere
“Dreams and Nightmares of a Mutant People” explores escapism through character, artistry, and individual oddities. Classical ballet elements meet with expressive and enhanced movement to create an otherworldly environment.
August 14, 2022 at 7pm at Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park
Dancing Wheels Company, Unconquered Warriors
Nai-Ni Chen employs kung-fu fans and martial arts elements in Unconquered Warriors, her piece based on a Chinese legend about a warrior who spins a loop called the magical wheel of the wind and fire.
Ballet Nepantla, Let Down and Huasteca Suite – World Premiere
“Let Down” is the story of a lost love that confronts gender normative dancing, while providing representation for queer females in dance. “Huasteca Suite” is an excerpt of Ballet Nepantla’s “Valentina.”
Linotip, Diagonal & Cain – World Premiere
The duet “Diagonal” is inspired by the famous Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncu?i, one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th-century; a moment captured in the performance from his period in the Parisian atelier, where the artist lived, created and loved. “Cain” explores the story of Cain and Abel, the first contradiction of humanity. These pieces were created in partnership with the Romanian Cultural Institute.
Gaudanse, nanibu – NYC Premiere
“Nanibu” investigates what it means to be royalty through imagery and movement. The choreography uses bird-like movement along with the feelings attached to colors to create the idea of a queen.
Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, Just Above the Surface
Created as part of a residency program commissioned by Western Michigan University, this piece explores the electric connection of human interaction—the sensations that pull people together or apart. Conceptually rooted in Yin Yue’s FoCo technique, which fuses movement from both Chinese folk and contemporary dance, the work communicates non-traditional narratives atop a buzzing and complex musical undercurrent by Michel Banabila, Shifted, Machinefabriek, and Metamorphoses
The Vanaver Caravan, Vanaver Caravan Retrospective
In celebration of The Vanaver Caravan’s 50th anniversary, the troupe’s dancers and musicians present excerpts from their legacy of innovative world dance and music, a percussive tapestry of pieces from their renowned repertoire inspired by American, Irish, African, French Canadian, and Balkan traditions.
August 15, 2022 at 7pm at Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park
India Independence Day – artists to be announced.
August 16, 2022 at 7pm at Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park
Christina Carminucci, The Solidarity Series IV: Free Spirits Suite – World Premiere
Accompanied by a live jazz band, the fourth original work of the Solidarity Series, is dedicated to presenting tap dance and jazz music together.
Linotip, Diagonal & Cain – World Premiere
The duet “Diagonal” is inspired by the famous Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncu?i, one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th-century; a moment captured in the performance from his period in the Parisian atelier, where the artist lived, created and loved. “Cain” explores the story of Cain and Abel, the first contradiction of humanity. These pieces were created in partnership with the Romanian Cultural Institute.
Fairul Zahid & Lasalle Dance Singapore, Allocentric, Singapore – World Premiere
Hailing from Kuala Lumpur and now based in Singapore, award-winning choreographer Fairul Zahid explores the hierarchy of multiple social identities with music by Òlafur Arnalds & Nils, with a cast of six dancers from Lasalle Dance Singapore.
Buglisi Dance Theatre, Threads
“Threads” takes inspiration from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as narrated by people from all over the world, beginning with Eleanor Roosevelt. Buglisi’s newest exploration also includes indigenous voices that expose the traumatic unraveling of our society. These human stories create intimately woven threads that make up the fabric of life.
Boca Tuya / Omar Roman de Jesus, Los Perros del Barrio Colosal
Through the exaggerated mannerisms of daytime television, the six characters of “Los Perros del Barrio Colosal” take us on a wild romp through the challenges of creative decision-making. Diving dramatically into the adventure of an imagination yet to be physicalized, they ask us to consider the far side of the moments when our ideas threaten, with disjointed urgency, to swallow us whole.
August 17, 2022 at 7pm at Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park
Xing Dance Theater, Citizen
“Citizen” interrogates the labels we receive – foreigner, immigrant, gay, white, black, Asian, poor, old, young. Standing on the stage, after the dancers share their stories and expose their inner selves, what labels do you actually see?
Julienne Doko, Lost Memories, Denmark – U.S. Premiere
Mémoires Perdues questions the notions of collective memory and progress: Do we really learn from the lessons of the past? The piece is an emotional response to this seemingly endless repetition of pain. It is a cry for the urgency of memory for our future. The choreographic vocabulary of the piece is African-contemporary drawing from Afro-Brazilian symbolism.
Tati Nuñez, Touch – Returned – World Premiere
“Touch – Returned” explores how physical touch can create both an internal and external presence in space around you, exposing both vulnerability and humility as the dancers experience one another.
Dos Proposiciones Dance Theatre, Pacto de Fuga, Spain – U.S. Premiere
“Pacto de fuga” is the answer to the choreographer’s concern for exploring the coexistence between contemporary dance and urban landscape. The creation process was based on the three dancers’ research and immersion in a concrete public venue: a popular traditional square in Seville, Spain.
Ntrinsik Movement, Kindred Spirit
“Kindred Spirit” is an excerpt of a multi-disciplinary production entitled “House of Love” that reflects our culture and heritage. The dancers pay homage to the ones that came before us and celebrate the cultural rhythms instilled deep within our souls.
Ballet Inc., Touche, – World Premiere
Set to Debussy and Brahms, “Touche” is a contemporary ballet that investigates the idea of the female and male emotive response to difficult decisions.
Alison Chase/Performance, Tsu-Ku-Tsu
“Tsu-Ku-Tsu” explores the balance and order of a regal procession giving way to full-throttle pandemonium of tumbling, leaps, and rebounds. Set to a reverberating original score from famed taiko drummer Leonard Eto, the warrior rhythms echo as bodies combine and lock into striking sculptural shapes.
August 18, 2022 at 7pm at Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park
Demi Remick & Dancers, That’s Entertainment! – World Premiere
“That’s Entertainment!” is a rhythmically virtuosic and theatrically driven tap dance work set to the music of Judy Garland. Demi Remick & Dancers perform to nostalgic broadway show tunes, adding electric physicality and a quirky twist to classic themes of show business.
Floyd McLean Jr., Cold – NYC Premiere
“Cold” explores the importance of holding one another up in a world that seems like it has its cards stacked against you. The individuals in this duet are revisiting earth from another realm, navigating prejudice, hate crimes, and so much more due to how you look or identify.
Battery Dance Company, Hoffman Dances
“Hofmann Dances,” is a trio of new dance works inspired by Hans Hofmann, one of the 20th century’s most influential painters and teachers. Guest choreographers Saeed Hani, Tsai Hsi Hung, and Christopher “Unpezverde” Núñez explore Hofmann’s poetic imagery, groundbreaking painting techniques and use of brilliant color. Together their three works embody Hofmann’s legacy of imagination and abstract expression.
TeaTime Company, Stick-Stok, Netherlands – U.S. Premiere
In “Stick-Stok,” TeaTime Company focuses on the blending of Circus and Dance. Utilizing juggling, contemporary dance and Chinese pole skills, the artists explore the possibilities of three custom made poles. Leaning into the simplicity of the object, they discover the combination of their disciplines in a completely new way.
Fairul Zahid & Lasalle Dance Singapore, Allocentric, Singapore – World Premiere
Hailing from Kuala Lumpur and now based in Singapore, award-winning choreographer Fairul Zahid explores the hierarchy of multiple social identities with music by Òlafur Arnalds & Nils, with a cast of six dancers from Lasalle Dance Singapore.
Tina Croll + Company, Balkan Bacchanal
“Balkan Bacchanal” explores the intricate rhythms and moods found in the music from Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Romania. The dances are often rituals that range in mood from wild and playful, slow and stately, harsh and driven to gentle and almost trance-like.
August 19, 2022 at 7pm at Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park
Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Face What’s Facing You!
Choreographed by company dancer Claude Alexander III, the piece is an honest, soul-stirring work addressing the facing of life’s challenges.
LaneCoArts, Swerve
“Swerve” explores society’s deviating, swerving away from the foundational principles of nature. Society in conflict is manifested first in social upheaval followed by environmental unraveling.
Dos Proposiciones Dance Theatre, Pacto de Fuga, Spain – U.S. Premiere
“Pacto de fuga” is the answer to the choreographer’s concern for exploring the coexistence between contemporary dance and urban landscape. The creation process was based on the three dancers’ research and immersion in a concrete public venue: a popular traditional square in Seville, Spain.
i KADA Contemporary Dance Company, Unfolding
Choreographer Ae-Soon Kim’s cultural roots and life journey on three continents weave together the people, places and things encountered to compose the soul.
Battery Dance Company, Hoffman Dances
“Hofmann Dances,” is a trio of new dance works inspired by Hans Hofmann, one of the 20th century’s most influential painters and teachers. Guest choreographers Saeed Hani, Tsai Hsi Hung, and Christopher “Unpezverde” Núñez explore Hofmann’s poetic imagery, groundbreaking painting techniques and use of brilliant color. Together their three works embody Hofmann’s legacy of imagination and abstract expression.
Compagnie Virginie Brunelle, Les Corps Avalés, Canada – U.S. Premiere
Against a backdrop of resilience and hope, “Les Corps Avalés” explores power relations, inequalities and social upheaval. Mastering the delicate balance between expressiveness and the vigorous physicality of her choreographic language, Brunelle directs seven dancers in a portrayal of a vulnerable humanity in search of gentleness and community.
August 20, 2022 at 6pm at The Schimmel Center at Pace University – *RESERVATIONS REQUIRED*
Boca Tuya / Omar Roman de Jesus, Los Perros del Barrio Colosal
Through the exaggerated mannerisms of daytime television, the six characters of “Los Perros del Barrio Colosal” take us on a wild romp through the challenges of creative decision-making. Diving dramatically into the adventure of an imagination yet to be physicalized, they ask us to consider the far side of the moments when our ideas threaten, with disjointed urgency, to swallow us whole.
Battery Dance Company, Hoffman Dances
“Hofmann Dances,” is a trio of new dance works inspired by Hans Hofmann, one of the 20th century’s most influential painters and teachers. Guest choreographers Saeed Hani, Tsai Hsi Hung, and Christopher “Unpezverde” Núñez explore Hofmann’s poetic imagery, groundbreaking painting techniques and use of brilliant color. Together their three works embody Hofmann’s legacy of imagination and abstract expression.
Julienne Doko, Lost Memories, Denmark – U.S. Premiere
“Mémoires Perdues” questions the notions of collective memory and progress: Do we really learn from the lessons of the past? The piece is an emotional response to this seemingly endless repetition of pain. It is a cry for the urgency of memory for our future. The choreographic vocabulary of the piece is African-contemporary drawing from Afro-Brazilian symbolism.
TeaTime Company, Stick-Stok, Netherlands – U.S. Premiere
In “Stick-Stok,” TeaTime Company focuses on the blending of Circus and Dance. Utilizing juggling, contemporary dance and Chinese pole skills, the artists explore the possibilities of three custom made poles. Leaning into the simplicity of the object, they discover the combination of their disciplines in a completely new way.
Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Face What’s Facing You!
Choreographed by company dancer Claude Alexander III, the piece is an honest, soul-stirring work addressing the facing of life’s challenges.
Compagnie Virginie Brunelle, Les Corps Avalés, Canada – U.S. Premiere
Against a backdrop of resilience and hope, “Les Corps Avalés” explores power relations, inequalities and social upheaval. Mastering the delicate balance between expressiveness and the vigorous physicality of her choreographic language, Brunelle directs seven dancers in a portrayal of a vulnerable humanity in search of gentleness and community.
ABOUT BATTERY DANCE
Battery Dance created its outdoor festival in 1982 as a way of engaging with its home community of lower Manhattan where it had been based since its founding in 1976. As one of America’s leading cultural ambassadors, Battery Dance connects the world through dance. The Company pursues artistic excellence and social relevance by creating vibrant new works, performing on the world’s stages, presenting dance in public spaces, serving the field of dance and teaching people of all ages with special attention to the disadvantaged and areas of conflict. Battery Dance is committed to enhancing the cultural vibrancy of its home community in New York City, extending programming throughout the U.S., and building bridges worldwide through international cultural exchange with programs in 70 countries to date. www.batterydance.org
SUPPORT FOR THE 2022 BATTERY DANCE FESTIVAL
Battery Park City Authority is Battery Dance’s partner in presenting the annual Battery Dance Festival. Public Funds have been contributed by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature; and New York City Councilmember Christopher Marte’s Office. Generous support has been provided by Goldman Sachs, Downtown Alliance, Dutch Culture USA, State Bank of India, Consulate General of India in New York, Romanian Cultural Institute, Holiday Inn, The Harkness Foundation for Dance, DesignBridge, Weill Cornell Medicine and many individual donors.