Author: jason

Posted on

Interlaced by SLK Ballet

Day Two of the Battery Dance Festival (Performance 3 of 7)

Students of SLK Ballet, from right here in downtown Manhattan, showcased their techniques and elegance in a beautiful contemporary ballet performance. Bravos, SLK Ballet!

“Interlaced” by SLK Ballet (World Premier)
Choreography: Clement Mensah
Dancers: Nicole Stapleton, Lauren Mead, Madison Mercadante, Hanna Tsao, Rachel Skipor, Angela Spensieri, Kylie Edwards, Stella Duerden, Teryn Colmery,
Costumes: Clement Mensah
Photography: Jason Chuang

Posted on

Cry Out by Trezon Dancy

Day Two of the Battery Dance Festival (Performance 2 of 7)

Trezon Dancy, an emerging dancer and choreographer from Connecticut and a current student at Ohio University, presented a contemporary solo tonight.

“Cry Out” by Trezon Dancy (2016)
Choreography: Trezon Dancy
Dancer: Trezon Dancy
Photography: Jason Chuang

Posted on

Yo, desaparezco

Day Two of the Battery Dance Festival (Performance 1 of 7)

The National Company of Contemporary Dance (CNDC), from the Dominican Republic, opened this evening’s performance. CNDC presented an abstract piece centered on the theme “disappearing” and explored how we fight for our lives, persist, and return stronger than before.

“Yo, desaparezco” by Compañia Nacional de Danza Contemporánea de Republica Dominicana (New York Premier)
Choreography: Michael Foley
Dancers: Patricia Ortega, Erick Roque, Dayme del Toro, Mildred Rubirosa
Costumes: Michael Foley
Photography: Jason Chuang

Posted on

Behri Drums and Dance Ensemble

The Behri Drums and Dance Ensemble and Danuka Ariyawansa wrapped up the opening night of the 36th annual Battery Dance Festival with live music and lively Sri Lankan dancing.

“Behri” (World Premier)
Choreography: Behri Drums and Dance Ensemble and Danuka Ariyawansa
Dancers: Nalinda Dilupama, Dilhan Pinnagoda, Indika Udayakumara, Uthpala Eroshan, Dinesh Wijesinghe, Danuka Ariyawansa
Photography: Jason Chuang

#batterydancefestival

Posted on

Tatting

The Martha Graham School presented “Tatting” tonight at the Battery Dance Festival. Beautiful and gorgeous movements. Bravos to all the dancers!

“Tatting” (World Premier)
Choreography: Tadej Brdnik
Dancers: Cara McManus, Jean-Baptiste Ferreira, Heather Christiansen, Antonella Zanutto, Carley Marholin, Jessica Sgambelluri
Scene Design: Eva Petrič
Photography: Jason Chuang

Posted on

Lost, Found, Lost

Janis Brenner and Dancers presented “Lost, Found, Lost” tonight featuring the graduates of LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts at the Battery Dance Festival.

Humorous at times yet emotionally powerful, this piece explores our personal connection and attachment — to material goods and social relationships alike. The choreography began with the artists yelling: “I lost my ticket”, “I lost my program”, “I lost my phone”, before it moved onto more serious thoughts such as “I lost my memory.” The performance was dynamic and energetic featuring numerous leaps and lifts, and ended with each of the dancers presenting (what I presume) an item that they had lost, found, and lost… from a sock, a pet, to loved ones.

Congrats to the LaGuardia grads. Wonderful performance! All the best on your next adventures!!!

“Lost, Found, Lost” (2011)
Choreography: Janis Brenner and Dancers
Dancers: Kara Chan, Janis Brenner, DeAndre Cousley, Sumaya Jackson, Christopher Ralph and Kristi Ann Schopfer with guest dancers Maia Bedford and graduates of LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts: Leila Bershad, Jamie DeTingo, Alyssa Fulton, Tamara Iliyev, Aashika Jikaria, Alyssa Manginaro, Amar Smalls, and Genevieve Waller-Whelan
Costumes: Romana Ponce and Janis Brenner
Photography: Jason Chuang

Posted on

I’m Letting Go of the Ground

“Akerman/Jansen” presented a world premier, I’m Letting Go of the Ground, at the Battery Dance Festival tonight. Having known each other since they were kids, Lily Akerman and Krista Jansen danced — and played — together this evening on a see saw. What else could be more symbolic of their childhood bond?

“I’m Letting Go of the Ground” (World Premier)
Choreography: Lily Akerman and Krista Jansen
Dancers: Lily Akerman, Krista Jansen
Photography: Jason Chuang

Posted on

Reconstruction by Battery Dance

Battery Dance presented “Reconstruction” tonight at the 36th annual Battery Dance Festival.

Choreographed by each of the company members, this piece explores the dancers’ responses to living in the current chaotic political environment. The music is by Matmos: electronic, jarring, and meant to represent the American Civil War. The movements reflect the great uncertainty that many of us experience today: dynamic and athletic at times, but bizarre and dreadful at others. Attempts to escape. Attempts to find calamity under the circumstances. Attempts to reach out and support each other.

Earlier this year, Battery Dance’s New York Season featured an evening of programs centered on social activism. Due to unfortunate time conflicts, I was unable to attend any of the performances, but I’m super glad to catch “Reconstruction” tonight. Two more choreographies from their New York Season will be presented this Thursday and this Saturday!

“Reconstruction” (2017)
Choreography: Robin Cantrell, Mira Cook, Clement Mensah, Bethany Mitchell, Sean Scantlebury, Razvan Stoian
Dancers: Robin Cantrell, Mira Cook, Clement Mensah, Bethany Mitchell, Sean Scantlebury, Razvan Stoian
Photography: Jason Chuang

Posted on

Ballade: The Rain Song

The 36th annual Battery Dance Festival opened tonight with poetry reading by Riyadh Mohammed and dancing by Hussein Smko.

The piece is a part of the “Combating Islamophobia Through Spoken Word and Dance” project, established by Battery Dance as a tribute to Adel Euro — a young and inspiring Iraqi dancer, mentored by Battery Dance, but tragically killed by a suicide bomb in July 2017. For more information, visit Battery Dance.

“Ballade: The Rain Song” (World Premier)
Speaker: Riyadh Mohammed
Dancer/Choreographer: Hussein Smko
Poetry: The Rain Song by Badr Shakir al-Sayyab
Photography: Jason Chuang

Posted on

Puffs

Puffs: the Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic & Magic.

A Harry Potter parody, so funny and hilarious, that I couldn’t stop laughing from the beginning to the end. If you’ve read and re-read the Harry Potter books and seen the movies at least 5 times each, you need to see this play!!

Do you know the three wizarding students who went to Hogwarts, became best friends, learnt magic, and tried to save the world?

Yup! Wayne, Megan, and Oliver! Wait. You haven’t heard of them? Well, me neither until tonight. They’re the three Hufflepuffs who “just happened to be at Hogwarts” in the same seven years as Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Puffs is a parody about the other students, a story of what it feels like to be secondary characters in someone else’s story. Most of all though, it’s about the most powerful magic in the world… love! ❤️

Other memorable moments include Susie playing all the signature Harry Potter moments (refreshing to see an actress play the part and she did a fabulous job). Ron as the red broom. Hermione as the messy wig. Students watching the Tri-Wizard Tournament (“We’re just watching a lake”). All the 90s pop music since Harry Potter did go to school in the 90s. The sorting hat. References to both the books and the movies (“The headmaster looks different this year”, the ginormous fifth book, Wayne’s light saber in the “Weird Mirror”).