Battery Dance launched Battery Dance TV on March 27, 2020 at batterydance.org/dancetvto provide free live dance classes and programming for the general public by Battery Dance and affiliated artists through a regularly scheduled program. Faced with the cancellation of its New York City public school dance classes and the postponement of its State Department Nigeria tour, and with its popular dance studios closed, the company staff members went into high gear (from living rooms and kitchens), creating online content. In its first three weeks, Battery Dance TV has been seen by more than 30,000 viewers in 95 countries.

A regular Sunday interview program hosted by Battery Dance's Founder Jonathan Hollander brings together artists from the U.S., India, Mexico, Costa Rica and Kenya, as well as diplomats who have programmed the arts as a way of bringing people together and encouraging peaceful understanding and cultural exchange.

On Sunday, April 19, the conversation returns once again to South Asia. Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, Indian Consul General in New York and two performers, dancer Pallavi Krishnan and elocutionist Samiul Islam Poluck, discuss the oeuvre of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. "Tagore was a Renaissance man and finding solace in his words and music at a time of disruption and isolation is a theme that is woven through the conversation" according to Hollander.

Two videos choreographed to Tagore songs will be shown at the conclusion of the discussion:

Rabindra Sangeet (Tagore song)
Sung by Iman Chakraborty
Danced and Choreographed by Pallavi Krishnan

The Dreamer
Song by Rabindranath Tagore based on the lines of Robert Burns
Sung and performed by Shwapnil Shojib
Dramaturgy by Samiul Islam Poluck
Battery Dancers Robin Cantrell, Mira Cook, Bethany Mitchell, Unnath Hassan Rathnaraju, Sean Scantlebury
Produced by Rtv Bangladesh and the U.S. Embassy Dhaka

In addition to the Artists Talks each Sunday, classes in international dance styles and a short improvisational solo continue the focus on different countries around the world. Bharatanatyam from India, Mestizo Fusion from Mexico and African Fusion from South Africa have been featured in previous weeks with solo performances by dancers from Cuba and Kenya.

Offerings will include:
morning warmup/stretching/conditioning exercises to start your day off right
mid-day classes in contemporary dance with afro, ballet and jazz fusion elements
evening classes in varied ballroom styles
a daily 4pm short video by dancers performing in their living rooms

Morning Classes & Instructors
Flow - Vivake Khamsingsavath
Stretch & Strength - Mira Cook
Conditioning - Sean Scantlebury

Afternoon Contemporary Classes & Instructors
Jazz Fusion - Jill Linkowski
Ballet Fusion - Bethany Mitchell
Storytelling & Repertoire - Hussein Smko
Afro Fusion - Sean Scantlebury

Evening Ballroom Classes & Instructor
Cha Cha, Salsa, Waltz, Fox Trot, Tango, Rumba, Swing - Razvan Stoian

Battery Dance also plans to expand its distance learning and programming by including online classes in lighting and production design, and classes in arts administration and cultural diplomacy. In the future, the Company plans to add short performances by youth around the world who will create short dances based on a specific weekly theme suggested by the Company.

ABOUT BATTERY DANCE
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

Photo © & courtesy of Photographer Unknown

Jonathan Hollander Photo © & courtesy of Photographer Unknown