Follow along with Battery Dance Company as the inner dancer is awakened among young people around the world through DANCING TO CONNECT.
Make Yourself Uncomfortable
Important Terminology
The Truth of the Body
Rangoon, Burma: Creating a stage on a basketball court
A dozen workmen, teak wood, rubber cushioning, linoleum flooring can combine to make a professional-quality stage on an outdoor basketball court!
Pre-tour Planning
Going through the day-to-day with Aviva Geismar and the teaching artists from Drastic Action and Battery Dance Company
Burma - working with FSN's
Nyi Nyi was one of the terrific Foreign Service Nationals at US Embassies overseas who have made our projects go. Here he is shepherding us at the airport in Rangoon.
Luggage
I recommend Fibrecases -- these were purchased a dozen years ago, and yes, they look like it, but they've held up and they don't attract pilfering because they look so distressed!
380 Broadway, 2003
Tomek Wygoda, whom we met through the Silesian Dance Theatre in Poland, came to New York to work on a solo with Jonathan. This piece was ultimately performance in Krakow at the European Conference on Tolerance with live accompaniment by the Cracow Klezmer Band.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 2006
Working with wonderful dancers from the Amrita Performing Arts, we tried out our newly minted Dancing to Connect project. Fred Frumberg and Kang Rithsal (seen in the yellow shirt) trusted us and facilitated our visit. Who knew that the King would return from Paris especially to see the performance??
Opera House, U.B., Mongolia 2008
Carmen and Mayuna outside the opera house. From the outside, the treacherous conditions are not visible (this is the place with the guttered stage floor.)
Carmen is working with visually disabled students in a Dancing to Connect workshop that brought them together with students from a Waldorf School.
Theater Freiburg, Germany, 2008
No one could quite believe that students from 3 different schools could merge into a functioning team so fast as these kids did in their Dancing to Connect workshop with Sean and Mayuna
Beijing, 2008
Master Class at the Chinese University of Nationalities, there's nothing like a little bit of humor to warm up the situation (Tadej is probably indicating that the dancers should get their weight forward, or else....)
Mongolia - 2008
Blazing Saddles? No - just our one day off in Mongolia with Tadej, Bafana, Carmen & Mayuna
380 Broadway - where it all begins and ends
From L to R: Carmen Nicole, Tadej Brdnik, Bafana Matea, Sean Scantlebury, Jonathan Hollander, Robin Cantrell, Mayuna Shimizu - this was the composition of our team as we prepared for the 2008 Asia Tour. Our new dancer Mira Cook and our production designers Barry Steele, David Bengali and G. Ben Swope are not pictured here.
Lucknow, India - 1997
This is a much more elegant version of the iron that was proffered by the humble gentleman backstage in Lucknow, but you get the idea!
Freiburg, Germany - 2006
DtC is hard work but fun too, bridging generations, backgrounds and transcending language barriers.
Nishinomiya, Japan - 2006
For its performance at Hyogo Performing Arts Center, BDC teamed up with Japanese duo-pianists and a choir, making the performance truly international and guaranteeing a full house
Taipei, Taiwan - 2006
As part of its 2006 tour of Taiwan, which was anchored by a performance at the Taipei Arts Festival, Jonathan lectured to a group of corporate executives on Corporate Social Responsibility as it pertains to support of the arts. Adding an element such as this within an arts tour broadened the company's outreach and helped implant new ideas of corporate volunteerism, the importance of in-kind contributions and other aspects of corporate support utilizing BDC as a model.
Taipei, Taiwan - 2006
Running a choreography workshop for the teaching staff of Cloud Gate Dance School cemented a relationship with Taiwan's leading contemporary dance company, adding content and depth to BDC's program in Taipei. The Company was invited to visit a rehearsal of Lin Hwai Min's new choreography and enjoyed a reunion with Bula Pagarlava and Nai-Yu Kuo, two dancers who had performed with BDC and who had moved up the ladder with Cloud Gate. ,
Freiburg, Germany - Dancing to Connect 2007
Tapping into the well-springs of students' creativity, we have learned over the past 6 years and across many countries that high school students, boys and girls, can find joy, build teams, open up new channels of communication and expression through dance. Most of these students had never set foot in a modern dance class, and yet their imaginations and explorations were unbounded.
Cleaning Costumes in Ulaanbaatar, 2008
Dealing with sweaty costumes on a long, multi-country tour is a huge challenge. Bringing a case of woolite and lots of plastic hangers is one way to deal with it. But sometimes the weather and conditions (and timing) are such that there is no opportunity to wash and dry before it is time to pack and go. And, if you are foolish enough to have some costumes that require dry cleaning (I am), then the problem is further compounded. And dry cleaning at a 5-star hotel is not advised unless you have a pocket full of cash that you don't mind spending. I was delighted to find a superb dry cleaner in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. We couldn't understand how there could be enough business in this very poor country to sustain such a thriving operation, but we certainly kept them busy for a day or so!
New York City - Downtown Dance Festival, August, 2006
International Cultural Engagement is not a one-way endeavor. The fact that BDC produces New York City's longest-running outdoor dance festival gives us a wonderful public platform for presenting dance from around the world. Ocean of Light was the brainchild of Sanjay Doddamani, bringing together dancers from New Orleans with those from South Asia, in a cross-cultural production that recognized the anniversary of Katrina and the Asian Tsunami.
Poznan, Poland; Malta Festival, 2002
Just as friends lead one to other friends, and a network builds, international cultural engagement often thrives on individual partnerships, relationships, mutual respect. Such is the case with Battery Dance Company and Silesian Dance Theater of Poland. Jonathan met Jacek Luminski, Artistic Director of SDT in 2004, introduced by a mutual friend, Fulbright Senior Scholar and theater professor Juliusz Tyszka of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. The fruits of these relationships includes performances by SDT in New York, hosted by BDC; performances by BDC in Poland, hosted by SDT and the Malta Festival in Poznan which was launched by students of Juliusz', and on and on.
Just as friends lead one to other friends, and a network builds, international cultural engagement often thrives on individual partnerships, relationships, mutual respect. Such is the case with Battery Dance Company and Silesian Dance Theater of Poland. Jonathan met Jacek Luminski, Artistic Director of SDT in 2004, introduced by a mutual friend, Fulbright Senior Scholar and theater professor Juliusz Tyszka of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. The fruits of these relationships includes performances by SDT in New York, hosted by BDC; performances by BDC in Poland, hosted by SDT and the Malta Festival in Poznan which was launched by students of Juliusz', and on and on.
Ocean of Light, Downtown Dance Festival, 2007
International Cultural Engagement is not a one-way endeavor. The fact that BDC produces New York City's longest-running outdoor dance festival gives us a wonderful public platform for presenting dance from around the world. Ocean of Light was the brainchild of Sanjay Doddamani, bringing together dancers from New Orleans with those from South Asia, in a cross-cultural production that recognized the anniversary of Katrina and the Asian Tsunami.
Laundry in Mongolia, 2008
Dealing with sweaty costumes on a long, multi-country tour is a huge challenge. Bringing a case of woolite and lots of plastic hangers is one way to deal with it. But sometimes the weather and conditions (and timing) are such that there is no opportunity to wash and dry before it is time to pack and go. And, if you are foolish enough to have some costumes that require dry cleaning (I am), then the problem is further compounded. And dry cleaning at a 5-star hotel is not advised unless you have a pocket full of cash that you don't mind spending. I was delighted to find a superb dry cleaner in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. We couldn't understand how there could be enough business in this very poor country to sustain such a thriving operation, but we certainly kept them busy for a day or so!
Dancing to Connect, Freiburg, 2007
Tapping into the well-springs of students' creativity, we have learned over the past 6 years and across many countries that high school students, boys and girls, can find joy, build teams, open up new channels of communication and expression through dance. Most of these students had never set foot in a modern dance class, and yet their imaginations and explorations were unbounded.
Taiwan, 2006, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre - Collaboration comes to the fore
Running a choreography workshop for the teaching staff of Cloud Gate Dance School cemented a relationship with Taiwan's leading contemporary dance company, adding content and depth to BDC's program in Taipei. The Company was invited to visit a rehearsal of Lin Hwai Min's new choreography and enjoyed a reunion with Bula Pagarlava and Nai-Yu Kuo, two dancers who had performed with BDC and who had moved up the ladder with Cloud Gate. ,
JH lecture, Taiwan-American Chamber of Commerce
As part of its 2006 tour of Taiwan, which was anchored by a performance at the Taipei Arts Festival, Jonathan lectured to a group of corporate executives on Corporate Social Responsibility as it pertains to support of the arts. Adding an element such as this within an arts tour broadened the company's outreach and helped implant new ideas of corporate volunteerism, the importance of in-kind contributions and other aspects of corporate support utilizing BDC as a model.
Nishinomiya, Japan, 2006
For its performance at Hyogo Performing Arts Center, BDC teamed up with Japanese duo-pianists and a choir, making the performance truly international and guaranteeing a full house
Bafana & DtC student, Freiburg, 2007
DtC is hard work but fun too, bridging generations, backgrounds and transcending language barriers.
Ugandan Dancers Aloft
Photo by Donna Winton
Sean and Robin on Stage in Uganda
Photo by Donna Winton
Robin and Ugandan Dancers
Donna Winton captures a great moment
Sean in Uganda
Dancing like an Egyptian?
Rehearsal in Algiers
Finale Accra
Dancing to Connect in Ghana
People Get Ready
Sean and Robin share their artistry on stage in Accra
Welcome Dance
Ghana Meets Battery Dance Company
Ghana Day 4
Robin and Sean are treated to a performance at the National Dance Theatre
Cape Coast, Ghana
Remnant of the slave trade
Day Off in Ghana
Robin traverses the rain forest canopy
Dance Studio in Ghana
Robin and Sean worked with 30 students in this lovely studio in Accra, Ghana. In two days, they created a 13-minute piece of choreography together!
Dancing to Connect Accra
Jackson shows his stuff
Mercer County Community College
Hard work can be fun too!
Unusual Doings at the Embassy
Ambassador Murphy and DCM Delawie pose with the students from Ernst-Reuter-Oberschule after they performed for an alumni event on November 16.
Unusual Doings at the Embassy
Dancing to Connect performance at the U.S. Embassy, Berlin
Packed Audience at the Winter Garden
The audience was estimated at over 1,000 for the matinee performance of Dancing to Connect;. Photo by Thietmar Bachmann
(E)Motion on Stage
Victoria, Juan, Derya, Sarah and Andrey Mix it Up; Photo by Christopher Butt
Performance at the Winter Garden
Students from Ernst-Reuter-Oberschule and Millennium High School Demonstrate their Dancing Chops in New York; Photo by Christopher Butt
Dancing to Connect in Africa!
Bafana (front row with headscarf) and Sean (under the red circular background) with dancers in Swaziland
Last Hugs
Students from Oberschule Wilhelmshorst don't want to let go of Mayuna and Bafana, b.f.f.!
Theater of Motion
Students from the Solar Oberschule Beelitz electrify in Berlin earlier this evening. Photo by Christian Jungeblodt.
Dancing to Connect Berlin
Ernst-Reuter-Oberschule students on stage at Nikolaisaal
No Caption Needed
This curtain-call shot from the Nikolaisaal last night says it all
Dancing to Connect
Ernst-Reuter-Oberschule Rainbow
Guys Take the Stage
7 Young Men from Ernst-Reuter-Oberschule tell their story kinetically. You gotta see it to believe it!
Action, Action, Action!
Mayuna and Bafana with students in Wilhelmshorst; Photo by Christian Jungeblodt
Orientation Meeting in Berlin
Teachers and students from Beelitz meet Mayuna and Bafana for the first time.
Checking out the Nikolaisaal
Barry Steele confers with Knut Radowsky, technical director of the theater, to determine how Dancing to Connect will be staged on October 13.
The Gallery as a Palette
Mayuna Shimizu and Bafana Matea in the stairwell at the Galerie Hans Mayer
Carmen & Kessler
Carmen Nicole performed in the contained space that she shared with an installation video art by Jon Kessler
Sophie, Alessandra & Longo
2 and 4 dimensional art by Sophie Bortolussi, Alessandra and Robert Longo
Dancing at the Lichtburg
100 Students from Essen and Duisburg outdid themselves on stage before a crowd of 1,000
Rehearsing at Stoppenburg
Getting ready for performance at the Lichtburg
Move over Simon Cowell
German TV Discovers Jonathan's hidden talents as a dance crew judge!
Meet the Mayor
Eveline Metzen, our hostess with the mostess in NRW introduces Bafana and Carmen to the Lord Mayor of Essen
Schleppers on the platform at Bitterfeld
Barry, Mayuna and Sean prepare to sling the 24 bags aboard the train to Essen
Curtain Call - Heinrich Heine Schule, Wolfen
Kathy Wasik basking in the glow with her students; photo by Dorothee Fischer
Sean & Carmen - "I'll Take You There"
Photo by Dorothee Fischer
Curtain Call - Kulturhaus
Flowers, smiles & tears; photo by Dorothee Fischer
Visiting the Bauhaus in Dessau
Mayuna, Tadej and Barry case the surroundings in the amazing Bauhaus buildings
Getting to Know You: Halle
Berit (l.), Alessandra and Carmen (r.) exchange information before the workshop in Halle
Teaching artists & students connect in Wolfen
Cara and Kathy get into the mix with their students
Capturing the workshop for playback
Sophie & Alessandra document their students' rehearsal so that they can show the kids what they've achieved
Train from Berlin to Dessau
Tadej, Alessandra and Sophie manage a smile despite their fatigue
Dessau - Barry hits the shops
Gotta get those German sim cards in the phones - gotta be accessible!
Dining in Dessau
Consul General Katherine Brucker hosts a welcome dinner for Battery Dance
Forging a New Partnership
Frau Fischer, a teacher from Wolfen, tells Robin about the school where she will begin the Dancing to Connect workshop tomorrow with Sean
Downtown Dance Festival '09
Who says that dance doesn't enjoy a big public following?
Battery Dance Company is dedicated to the pursuit of artistic excellence and the availability of the Arts to everyone. An integral part of the fabric of New York City for 30 years, Battery supports the creative process; educates children in the New York City schools; enriches the general public through local programs and performances, national and international tours, and international arts exchange programs.
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