Battery Dance presents Canadian Voices in Dance as part of its new format Battery Dance Festival +

Battery Dance announces the second installment of Battery Dance Festival +, an extension of its annual summer festival that went virtual for the first time in August, attracting nearly 30,000 viewers in its 39th year. Established in 1982, the Battery Dance Festival (BDF) is New York City’s longest-running free public dance festival and one of its most wide-ranging. Battery Dance Festival + showcases free virtual performances by prior Festival participants and welcomes new artists within geographic and cultural themes. 

In partnership with the Canadian Consulate of New York, Battery Dance Festival + will present an hour of performances celebrating Canadian Voices in Dance on Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 7pm EST on YouTube.com. This program is part of the Battery Dance Festival + series that transports audiences around the world to experience worldwide cultures and dance forms. 

The virtual performances will be available to watch for 30 days after the premiere, expiring April 24, 2021. Registration is free and open to the public at https://www.classy.org/event/battery-dance-festival-canadian-voices-in-dance/e327355. For more information, visit https://batterydance.org/battery-dance-festival/canadian-voices-in-dance/.

“From cowboy boots to ankle bells, sneakers t​o snow boots, we celebrate the variegated styles of dance coming from our neighbors to the North with the newest edition of Battery Dance Festival +. I am thrilled to continue the celebration of dance this month with Canadian Voices in Dance. Join me as I interview inspiring Canadian dancemakers every Sunday leading up to the next edition of Battery Dance Festival + on March 25,” said Battery Dance founder and Artistic Director Jonathan Hollander.

between series by Kaeja d’Dance
Piece 1: between sun and sand
Concept: Karen Kaeja Dancers and Co-Direction – Karen Kaeja and Allen Kaeja
Cinematographer: Talia Tsarfati
Editor: Allen Kaeja
Composer: Edgardo Moreno 
Location: Shot on the shores of Saugeen Nations, South Bruce Penninsula
between sun and sand was shot in the summer of 2020

Piece 2: between snow and sky
Concept: Karen Kaeja Dancers and Co-Direction – Karen Kaeja and Allen Kaeja
Cinematographer: Talia Tsarfati
Editor: Karen Kaeja
Original Score: Christina Litt Belch
Location: Shot on the shores of Saugeen Nations, South Bruce Penninsula
between snow and sky was shot in the winter of 2021

The Man in Black by Citadel + Compagnie
The Man in Black is a celebration of American working class-grit and of the man whose voice embodied it so well, Johnny Cash. James Kudelka takes six Cash songs and transforms them into outwardly simple yet choreographically sophisticated dances, creating an ode to the human spirit, proud and resilient.

Choreography: James Kudelka
Rehearsal Direction: Laurence Lemieux
Music: Six covers, sung by Johnny Cash
Dancers: Tyler Gledhill, Daniel McArthur, Connor Mitton, Erin Poole
Costume Design: Jim Searle and Chris Tyrell for Hoax Couture

Ever So Slightly by RUBBERBAND
Ever So Slightly explores the behavioural mechanisms and reflexes we develop against the ceaseless flow of irritants that bombard us in our daily lives. Most of us long for calm and resilience, but how do we get to a zone where noise and aggressivity no longer have a place? Simultaneously delivering delicacy, brutality, finesse, and high-voltage action, Victor Quijada conveys all the energy contained in urgency, revolt, chaos, and flight.

Choreography: Victor Quijada in collaboration with the dancers. 
Dramaturgy: Mathieu Leroux. 
Musical Director: Jasper Gahunia. 
Original Music: Jasper Gahunia, William Lamoureux. 
Lighting Design: Yan Lee Chan. 
Costumes Design: Cloé Alain-Gendreau. 
Technical Director: Simon Cloutier. 
Production Manager: Florence Cardinal. 
Dancers: Amara Barner, Jean Bui, Daniela Jezerinac, Sydney McManus, Dana Pajarillaga, Brontë Poiré-Prest, Jerimy Rivera, Zack Tang, Ryan Taylor, Paco Ziel. 
Music (live performance): Jasper Gahunia – bass, drum machine, keyboard, turntable; William Lamoureux – violin, guitar, keyboard. 

Ever So Slightly is a coproduction of RUBBERBAND, Danse Danse, Société de la Place des Arts de Montréal, Théâtre Hector-Charland and Global Arts Live. With the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Conseil des arts de Montréal and the Ontario Arts Council.

RUBBERBAND benefited from the support of Danse à la Carte and residencies at Place des Arts, Salle Pauline-Julien, CCOV – Centre de création O Vertigo, The Performing Arts Center at SUNY Purchase, and Théâtre Hector-Charland for the creation of Ever So Slightly.

Tarana by Tanveer Alam
The Tarana is a composition of Hindustani classical music in which syllables such as “tanadeem”, “yalali”, “tanaderena” based in Arabic and Persian phonemes are structured and held within a Taal (rhythmic cycle) and Raag (melody). The movements are abstract and strongly based in the technique of Kathak. The melody has no meaning but conveys a sense of vigour, indulgence, and celebration. This Tarana is set to the midnight Raag, Darbari Kanada. This work is a representation of how Kathak continues to evolve and grow within the bodies of its diasporic practitioners — with love, honestly, and authenticity.

Choreography and performance: Tanveer Alam
Music: Pt. Atul Desai
Rehearsal direction: Harikishan S. Nair

In Between by The National Ballet of Canada
Praised as a “polished, cohesive ballet” in The Globe and Mail, In Between debuted with The National Ballet of Canada in 2018 with original music by Canadian composer Adam Sakiyama. Choreographer Alysa Pires has now adapted the piece for film, focusing on a single dancer, Second Soloist Christopher Gerty, rather than the original cast of four, reimaging the choreography as a poignant solo. Inspired by the pull between two places, In Between conveys a sense of yearning and restlessness that feels especially prescient in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.

Choreography: Alysa Pires 
Director: Ben Shirinian
Producer: Ben Shirinian & Jared Cook | Lookout
Music: “In Between,” written and performed by Adam Sakiyama
Featuring: Christopher Gerty 

Thank You
BMO Financial Group presents the 2020/21 Season.

Expansive Dances is made possible by the generous support of The Delaney Family Foundation and Sans Limites.

The National Ballet of Canada presents Expansive Dances in partnership with Evergreen.

Filmed at Evergreen Brick Works 
Supported by Bank of America as part of Evergreen’s 2020 Cultural Performing Arts Series

Christopher Gerty is sponsored through Dancers First by Ms. Nancy Viner & Dr. Raymond Stein. 

Production Company: Lookout 
Director: Ben Shirinian
Producer: Ben Shirinian & Jared Cook
Cinematography: Cameron Roden
Camera Assistant: Brandon Vieira 
Drone: Matt Bujok
Title Design: Murilo Almeida

Editing Facility: School Editing 
Editor: Jon Devries
Assistant Editor: Genevieve Latour 
Executive Producer: Sarah Brooks 
Executive Producer: Yumi Suyama

Colour Facility: Alter Ego 
Colourist: Wade Odlum 
Producer: Jane Garrah 
Executive Producer: Greg Edgar

Online: Fort York
Flame Artist: Luke White
Producer: Armen Bunag
Executive Producer: Erica Bourgault

Audio Post Facility: Voodoo Highway Music
Mix: Rachael Johnstone & Brian Pickett

About Kaeja d’Dance
Established in 1990, Kaeja is driven by two distinct artistic forces, Karen and Allen Kaeja. Kaeja creates award-winning contemporary dance performances for stage, film & communities that have toured the world. The foundation of their stage and film creation began with fifteen years of Holocaust inspired dance works. Allen is the child of a refugee and Holocaust survivor. Kaeja presents local and international dance artists in Toronto through festival platforms, commissions and mentorships, creating with people of all identities, practices and ages. Passionate engagers of bridging professional and community dance art, Kaeja has received 40+ awards & nominations. www.kaeja.org

About Citadel + Compagnie
Citadel + Compagnie is a dance organization with its home, The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance, embedded within the Regent Park community of downtown Toronto. Led by Artistic Director, Laurence Lemieux, the company commits to the creation and production of innovative and accessible original works of dance and the preservation of iconic Canadian repertoire, in addition to supporting its multiple presentation platforms and training program. www.citadelcie.com

About Tanveer Alam
Born and raised in Montreal, Tanveer Alam started his training in the Indian classical dance form of Kathak with Sudeshna Maulik and continues to study with guru Sandhya Desai. Alam also trains in Taal Vidya — the knowledge of Hindustani classical rhythms, with guru Pandit Divyang Vakil. He is a 2019 graduate of The School of Toronto Dance Theatre. Alam has performed in the works of Pandit Birju Maharaj, Janak Khendry, Rina Singha, Lata Pada, Brandy Leary, Noémie Lafrance, and Sanjukta Sinha. An emerging choreographer, he hopes to carry forward Kathak in relation this his own truths as a diasporic artist, as well as reflect on the different trainings his body holds. His work has been presented at Dance Ontario DanceWeekend, New Blue Emerging Dance Festival, London Dance Festival, MAI – Montréal, arts interculturels, SummerWorks Festival, and Tangente to name a few. Alam has been supported by The Canada Council for the Arts, Toronto Arts Council, and Ontario Arts Council. In 2020, he was the recipient of The Sadhana Residency supported by Anandam Dancetheatre.

About The National Ballet of Canada
One of the top international ballet companies, The National Ballet of Canada was founded in 1951 by Celia Franca. A company of 70 dancers with its own orchestra, the National Ballet has been led by Artistic Director Karen Kain, one of the greatest ballerinas of her generation, since 2005. Renowned for its diverse repertoire, the company performs traditional full-length classics, embraces contemporary work and encourages the creation of new ballets as well as the development of Canadian choreographers. 

ABOUT BATTERY DANCE
Battery Dance created its outdoor festival in 1982 in lower Manhattan, the community where it was founded 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. Faced with the curtailment of all of its live programs in March, the Company went online and invented Battery Dance TV with hundreds of classes, performances and interviews broadcast across 199 countries, achieving over 1.2 million views within just six months. www.batterydance.org