On August 15, the Battery Dance Festival celebrated Indian classical dance styles. The event took place in New York City’s Battery Park. Event organizers live-streamed the performances on Vimeo as well. Dancers from the Rudrakshya Foundation presented lively routines.
Rudrakshya Foundation is a renowned Odissi company and school from Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Guru Sri Bichitrananda Swain leads the company, which consists of ten male dancers. Their performance marks their New York City debut.
They performed a routine called Kali Krishna. The classical choreography reflected the Indian State of Odisha’s dance form. Rudrakshya Foundation dedicates itself to the historic genre.
Ancient Hindu Temple Friezes’ artwork depicts the dance style. People can find monuments in Puri, Bhubaneswar, Konar, and Cuttack. Odissian Guru Padma Vibhushan Kelucharan Mohapatra and his top student Sujata Panigrahi trained Guru Bichitrananda. In turn, Guru Bichitrananda teaches his choreography to young men. Two highly-regarded soloists accompanied the dance company.
Kathak dancer Durgesh Gangani from Vadodara, Gujarat, and Kuchipudi dancer Amaranth Ghosh from Chennai, Tamil Nadu displayed their marvelous routines.
Durgesh Gangani performed a routine called The Legacy. His grandfather, Pt. Sundarlal Gangani choreographed the steps. The piece has a rich connection to history too.
Gangani’s grandfather served as a famous Kathak Guru. Many recognized his pioneering personality and international impact. In 1951, Pt. Sundarlal Gangani brought Kathak to the Indian university system. Amaranth Ghosh performed as well.
He titled his routine Maragatha Manimaya. He performed intricate patterns and balanced on a brass plate’s edge. Kuchipudi dancers called this style “Tarangam.” Ghosh dedicated his performance to Lord Krishna. People can view the dances on Battery Dance’s website until August 25. The festival offered bonus content in their event invite.
In the video, Rudrakshya Foundation rehearsed for their 2023 US Tour. Rohita Pradhan recorded the video. The festival’s invite included a survey as well. Attendees shared their feedback in the response form. The festival benefits from their submissions.
The Battery Dance Festival is New York City’s longest-running public and free dance festival. It has occurred annually for forty-two years. From August 12 to 18, attendees can witness the creative performances. Performances and live streams will happen daily from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time. The festival’s Indian Independence Day celebration had terrific sponsors.
The Consulate General of India in New York and The State Bank of India New York supported the performance.
New York State of Opportunity Council for the Arts, New York State of Opportunity Battery Park City Authority, New York City Cultural Affairs, New York City Council, and Downtown Alliance supported the event.
Subaru Distributors Corp, Glacéau Vitamin Water, The Shubert Foundation Inc., The Bowery Mission, and Unteatru helped the festival. The Romanian Cultural Insitute, Canada, UNATC, and Dutch Culture USA assisted with the event.
Harkness Foundation for Dance, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Tattoos Not Brands supported the event. Kampung Seni Baruga Kaluarrang supported the event as well.
