The 44th Annual Battery Dance Festival, scheduled from August 12-16, in Rockeffeller Park, includes a whole day devoted to India, coinciding with Indian Independence Day which falls on Friday, August 15.
Battery Dance celebrates the art of dance in its home community this August, in partnership with Battery Park City Authority. On Saturday, August 9, the Company celebrates the re-opening of Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park, following a two-year pause during which it was rebuilt as part of a coastal resiliency effort to protect Battery Park City and lower Manhattan from storm surge and sea level rise.
The main festival begins August 12. For Indians and Indian Americans in the tri-state area, between the days of August 12-16, Rockefeller Park will be rocked on August 15, with a plethora of Indian local and North American dance troupes showing off their talent.
Following is the schedule for India Day –
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INDIA DAY – SHAKTI: DIVINE ENERGY
Rajika Puri, Sutradhar (Narrator)
Nandanik Dance Troupe, founded and directed in 2006 by Nandini Mandal in Pittsburgh, has trained a cadre of American-born bharatanatyam dancers and regularly presents dancers and dance companies from India. For its first performance in New York City, the Company presents an excerpt from a new production, Dashamahavidya, literally the 10 incarnations of the mother goddess Shakti, created by Kolkata-based choreographer and soloist Subhajit Khush Das.
Bijayini Satpathy Dance Collective is a newly formed ensemble of dancers trained by the well-known Odissi dancer Bijayini Satpathy. Two duets will be presented, choreographed by Bijayini and performed by Ariaki Dandawate and Malavika Singh, under the title of “Lasya”, “Mahamaya”, and “Lathika”, celebrating the feminine power in sensuality and might.
Sonali Skandan, Bharatanatyam soloist, will present “Durga,” created in collaboration with Maya Kulkarni, to a commissioned musical score. This work is a visceral invocation of the Divine Feminine, at once serene and ferocious. Sonali has performed solo and group works in the Erasing Borders of Indian Dance in prior seasons and elsewhere on tour in India and the U.S.
Kalpavruksha Dance Ensemble, presents “The Flame of Destiny”, based on the story of Draupathi from India’s epic, Mahabharata. The original production for 16 dancers has been choreographed by Swathi Gundapuneedi-Atluri, originally from Hyderabad, an acclaimed exponent of Kuchipudi who established her dance academy in 1999 in New Jersey. Guest Kathakali dancers from Canada and New York will join the cast.
Subhajit Khush Das, an award-winning dancer/choreographer from Kolkata, will present the world-premiere of “MAA, The Protector”, in the style of Uday Shankar. An MFA graduate of Rabindra Bharati University, he leads his own dance company that has been widely seen in live and televised performances across India.
Malini Srinivasan & Dancers will present “Devi Sabdam”, a work dedicated to the essence of divine feminine power and creativity, choreographed by Renjith Babu and set for the Festival stage by Malini Srinivasan. Based in New York City and trained by the late C.V. Chandrasekhar and others, Malini’s Bharatanatyam choreography, teaching and performance have nurtured a new generation of dedicated dancers, six of whom will join her on stage.
Sampradaya Dance Creations of Canada presents “Dwitiya”, a Bharatanatyam duet celebrating the divine union of Shiva and Shakti, embodying balance and oneness of masculine and feminine energies. Choreographed by Lada Pada, Founder and Artistic Director of Sampradaya, the work is performed by Harikishan Nair and Atri Nundy.
ABOUT BATTERY DANCE
Founded by Jonathan Hollander in 1976 in lower Manhattan, Battery Dance is considered one of America’s leading cultural ambassadors, connecting the world through dance, a press release from the organization said. “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 75 countries to date.”
Please RSVP to Michelle Tabnick: michelle@