Battery Dance Festival

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 in-person 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 in 2020, attracting 30,000 viewers across 206 countries. In 2021, it ran as a hybrid model with over 10,000 in-person and over 21,000 virtual audience members. Since 2023, the Festival has welcomed in-person and live-streamed audiences from its new home at Rockefeller Park.

“There's something about the sense of community, the sharing of cultures, the plethora of dance styles under the changing light from the late summer sky that invigorates the spirit every August. To our tried-and-true fans, we say ‘see you again soon!’ To newcomers, we look forward to surprising you with the beauty of Rockefeller Park and the delight of seeing phenomenal dance companies in the open-air setting,” said Jonathan Hollander, Founder and Artistic Director of Battery Dance.

Performance Schedule:

Thursday, August 15/India Day: Radhika Jha; Rajesh Sai Babu Mayurbhanj Chhau Group.

2024 FESTIVAL ARTISTS (roster subject to change):

Radhika Jha (NYC/Delhi, India)

Radhika Jha is a performer of Odissi, the temple dance of the Eastern Indian State of Odisha. Her style, rarely seen in public fora, is that of the late Guru Surendranath Jena, turning well-known sculptural poses into movements. Radhika has honed his choreography to bring out the elements that make it distinctive - abrupt rhythm changes, the use of spoken language, the integration of nritta (pure dance) and abhinaya (acting/storytelling).

Rajesh Sai Babu Mayurbhanj Chhau Group (Noida, India)

Mayurbhanj Chhau has rarely been seen in group presentations in the U.S., with its vigorous jumps, spins and high kicks contrasted with subtle movements of the torso and shoulders. This special program will in part feature dances dedicated to Nataraj, Lord of Dance, and Kshetriya, India’s ancient heroic warriors. Sponsorship provided by the Consulate General of India in New York and State Bank of India in New York.