36th Annual Battery Dance Festival Announces August Lineup

Battery Dance, in association with Battery Park City Authority, announces the 36th Annual Battery Dance Festival, with free performances on August 13-18, 2017, from 7pm to 9pm against the breathtaking backdrop of the New York Harbor at Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park in Battery Park City, culminating in a closing event and reception on August 19, 2017, from 6pm to 8pm at The Schimmel Center at Pace University. For more information, visit batterydance.org/battery-dance-festival. Tickets for August 19 will be available beginning August 1.

Established by Battery Dance in 1982 as the Downtown Dance Festival, today the Battery Dance Festival (BDF) is New York City's longest-running free public dance festival. Audiences are traditionally drawn from the large downtown working population and residents, families, tourists, senior citizens and dance fans from the greater NYC metropolitan area. Each year, the Festival attracts a combined audience of over 12,000 people.

The Battery Dance Festival provides a unique opportunity for both established and emerging dance companies to present original works of high artistic merit in a free public forum. BDF revels in the panoply of dance that our city offers, with strong emphasis on the inclusion of diverse dance styles and an international roster of performers. American choreographers such as Michelle Dorrance, Robert Battle and Elisa Monte have all presented their works alongside pre-eminent companies from Asia, Europe, South America, Africa and the Caribbean.

This year's featured artists include:

Akerman/Jansen

Amy Marshall Dance Company

Ariel Rivka Dance

Ballet Inc.

Battery Dance

Buglisi Dance Theatre

Erv Works Dance

Fadi J. Khoury's FJK Dance

Janis Brenner

Mari Meade Dance Collective (MMDC)

Martha Graham School

Maxine Steinman & Dancers

Nadine Bommer Dance Company

Peridance Contemporary Dance Company

SLK Ballet

SYnC Dance Company

Tina Croll

The Movement Playground

Trainor Dance

Trezon Dancy

Wilder Project

IAAC Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dance (August 15)

International Companies:

Bollylicious (Belgium)

Cia. Elías Aguirre (Spain)

Compañía de Danza Contemporánea de República Dominicana (Dominican Republic)

Mophato Dance Theatre (Botswana)

Battery Dance created its outdoor festival in 1982 as part of its engagement with its home community of lower Manhattan where it has been based since its founding in 1976. As one of America's leading cultural ambassadors, BatteryDance 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. Visit www.batterydance.org for more.