Battery Dance Now Accepting Applications for Young Voices in Dance DEADLINE: June 1, 2021

Battery Dance is now accepting applications for its newest addition, Young Voices in Dance. Applications must be submitted online by June 1, 2021 at https://batterydance.org/youngvoices.

Young Voices in Dance, Battery Dance Festival’s newest addition, celebrates the next generation of choreographers. The program highlights the intellectual curiosity, innovation, and artistic excellence of youth (ages 15-22) from around the world. Young Voices in Dance will feature live performances with original works made and danced by youth. Battery Dance encourages submissions that have a clear concept or theme, integrate interdisciplinary collaborations, and showcase a unique voice as a choreographer. All styles of dance are eligible to apply. Selected pieces will perform at the 40th Annual Battery Dance Festival at Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park in NYC on August 16, 2021. If you are unable to travel to NYC and would like to submit a virtual dance film, the top dance film selections will be streamed as bonus content during the Festival. 

REQUIREMENTS:
* Choreographers must be between 15-22 years of age by Aug 16th, 2021 to apply. 
* Individual artists and collectives are welcome to apply. You do not need to be a formal organization to be considered.
* Duration of group works (2 or more dancers) should be between 5-10 minutes. The duration of solo works should be between 2-5 minutes. In selecting work for consideration, please be mindful of the outdoor performance situation with minimal supplemental lighting and an audience generally not on risers.  

* Dance films, filmed works created or re-created in the audience free theaters or alternative spaces will be considered as bonus content for the festival.
* If a work exists only in-progress, please send a rehearsal video of the required length by June 1st, with sufficient supplemental information with which to be fairly considered. World Premiere performances and NYC debuts/premieres are welcomed and encouraged.
* Each company/artist can submit only one application; however, dancers can perform in more than one work.
*Battery Dance does not cover travel expenses. 
*Submissions will be reviewed by the Artistic Director of Young Voices in Dance, Tadej Brdnik, and a Youth Curatorial Panel.  

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. It draws audiences of approximately 2,000 people each night from the large downtown population of workers, residents, families, tourists, senior citizens, and dance fans from the greater NYC metropolitan area and beyond. The Festival went virtual last summer and plans to run as a hybrid model with live and streamed performances in August 2021. Battery Dance Festival provides a unique opportunity for professional dancers and choreographers in any genre to present original works of high artistic merit in a free public forum against the backdrop of New York Harbor, Statue of Liberty, and the sunset. Past participants have included Dorrance Dance, New York Theatre Ballet, Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana, Vanaver Caravan, Dancing Earth Indigenous Dance Company, Music from the Sole, and Jamal Jackson Dance Company alongside pre-eminent companies from Africa, South Asia, East Asia, Europe, South America, and the Caribbean.

Watch recaps from the past two festivals to view the performance space:
2020 Festival: https://youtu.be/RbUAqF3uLe0
2019 Festival: https://vimeo.com/356921433

COVID-19: If staged performances are not possible due to COVID restrictions, we may shift to a virtual-only festival.

If you have additional questions, please contact Gabrielle Niederhoffer, Festival Manager: gabrielle@batterydance.org and Tadej Brdnik, Artistic Director: tadejny@gmail.com.

ABOUT BATTERY DANCE
Battery Dance created its outdoor festival in 1982 as part of its engagement with its home community of lower Manhattan where it has 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