New York City’s longest-running public dance festival is set to mark India’s Independence Day on August 15 with a special cultural programme dedicated to the theme of Shakti – the female divine energy.
The 44th Annual Battery Dance Festival, running from August 12 to 16, brings together dance companies from around the world in a free public celebration of artistic diversity. This year’s India Day, scheduled for August 15, will focus on honouring the feminine essence and creativity through a series of performances by global artists.
The curated event will feature seven different groups presenting their interpretations of the feminine principle and its role in creativity and life. Participating artists and companies hail from cities including Kolkata, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, and New York, performing in classical Indian dance styles such as Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, and the Uday Shankar technique.
Featured performers include the Nandanik Dance Troupe from Pittsburgh, choreographer and soloist Subhajit Khush Das from Kolkata, and acclaimed artists such as Bijayini Satpathy, Maya Kulkarni-Lada Pada, Sonali Skandan, Swathi Gundapuneedi-Atluri, Renjith Babu, and Malini Srinivasan. One highlight will be a new production dedicated to Goddess Kali.