AUG 13 | In-Person & Livestreamed
Opening night of our main festival features the return of three companies, and four debut performances. From hip hop to contemporary, from traditional folk dance to modern global fusion, this year’s festival begins with an evening of work showcasing the diversity of dance.
This program is made possible in part by our international partner organizations: DutchCultureUSA at the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in New York and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia and Kampung Seni Baruga Kaluarrang.
Thank you to our independent Curatorial Panel for selecting these wonderful companies. See detailed program info below.
In-person: 7pm EDT at Rockefeller Park. Click here for directions.
Livestream: https://vimeo.com/854198399?share=copy
The video will be available to watch for 10 days after the premiere and will expire on Aug 23.
Register for free to receive the livestream link and bonus content
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Program
BATARA GOWA
Lebonna
Lebonna (2022) is a dance piece inspired by the ancient oral literature of Toraja titled “Massudilalong sola Lebonna”. It tells the story of the war commander, Massudilalong Paerengan, and the most beautiful girl in his village, Lebonna. In their relationship, both of them vowed that their love would be eternal and they would remain together in life and death. They also pledged to be buried in the same grave once they passed away. However, fate had other plans, and their love story ended tragically.
Batara Gowa’s appearance at the 42nd Annual Battery Dance Festival 2023 is made possible by the generous support of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia and Kampung Seni Baruga Kaluarrang.
BATTERY DANCE
A Certain Mood
“A Certain Mood” is inspired by the Hans Hofmann painting of the same name. Hofmann’s use of space and color gave me a feeling of darkness moving into light. As a painter, I often transpose the movement of the brushstroke into my choreography. I wanted to capture the vibrant quality of Hofmann’s work by showcasing the athletic movements of the dancers and embody the energy of the painting. -Tsai Hsi Hung
This performance is made possible by The Renate, Hans & Maria Hofmann Trust.
REUEL ROGERS
Power | World Premiere
POWER Is a solo dance work which explores the concept of power from several perspectives. Movement wise, the work experiments with the idea of power and control in the body, and the dynamism of flow and softness, journeying from zero to 100 and back from 100 to zero. It is also about the act of manifesting, i.e. the power to make things happen that exists within each of us. It is about making and achieving goals. Finally, the piece also celebrates the power of nature: the wind, a force that we can feel, but we can’t see; that force that passes before the sun without leaving a trace, a pressure to ” flow ” that you can’t halt, but can keep.
This performance is supported by DutchCultureUSA at the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in New York.
KETURAH STEPHEN
A Yearning Desire | NYC Premiere
“This piece was created to highlight different stages and moments in my life. I wanted to show moments of isolation and also moments of community and the importance of relationships that we often long for. I titled this work ‘A Yearning Desire’ because, throughout every section I feel as though there is one or more individuals striving to get to their said person or group of individuals, and in the end we are met with a sense of surrender because we finally let go of what we are searching for and learn to accept who is in front of us.”
TRAINOR DANCE
Courante
Is Courante a dance for angels, animals, or the possessed? Performed by a cast of 7 from Trainor Dance, this exhilarating piece is a romp into the wilderness of the heart via pulsing, soaring, and careening bodies. Set to Caroline Shaw’s Pulitzer prize winning composition, Courante will leave you twitching in your seat.
NU-WORLD CONTEMPORARY DANSE THEATRE
The Called and The Chosen | NYC Premiere
The Called And The Chosen is a contemporary retelling of an ancient Rites Of Passage ceremony.
IMGE DANCE
no(man)
(no)man is a dance rollercoaster traveling through ideas of home and identity while juxtaposing cross cultural movement as a reflection of power & privilege. Weaving together their signature fusion movement, rhythmic footwork and world music, IMGE questions who is included and excluded in this borrowed space and time.