ROVACO DANCE FESTIVAL to Launch in Downtown Brooklyn
Ishita Mili, Sonny Singh, Miwi La Lupa, and Compass Trio join the lineup in Downtown Brooklyn.
After seven successful Rovaco Dance Party events, Rovaco Dance Company will present its first Rovaco Dance Festival, featuring two unique and diverse programs of contemporary dance-theater by Rovaco, as well as live music, theater, and dance performances by guest-commissioned artists. Each night begins with an immersive pre-show social, inspired by South-Asian hospitality, where attendees enjoy homemade Indian snacks and drinks prepared by our resident chef. Rovaco Dance Festival 2026 is made possible with support from Brooklyn Arts Council, Brooklyn Org, & New York State Council on the Arts.
Ticket prices range from $25 - $50, and include complimentary Indian snacks and drinks
Event Venues: Brooklyn Ballet & The Mark O'Donnell Theater | 160 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Event Schedule
5:00 PM | Immersive Cultural Experiences & Social with Complimentary Refreshments at Brooklyn Ballet
6:30 PM | Performances with host Rohan Bhargava, Rovaco's Artistic Director, at The Mark O'Donnell Theater
Performance Dates
Saturday, August 29th: Program A
- Contemporary Dance: Sex Robot (Excerpt from KAMA) by Rovaco
- Live Music: Harmonium, Trumpet, Vocals, & Guitar by Sonny Singh & Miwi La Lupa
- Bharatanatyam & Hip-Hop Dance: Talam by Ishita Mili / IMGE Dance
- Contemporary Dance-Theater: Ghoonghat (Work-in-Progress) by Rovaco
Sunday, August 30th: Program B
- Contemporary Dance: Madaari (The Monkey Master) by Rovaco
- Live Music: Sitar, Tabla, & Guitar by Compass Trio (Galen Passen, Tripp Dudley, James Labrosse)
- Theater: the host, the traveler, the mother by writer Hasan ul Haq (presented in partnership with National Queer Theater's Criminal Queerness Studio)
- Contemporary Dance-Theater: Ghoonghat (Work-in-Progress) by Rovaco
Indian Street-Food & Drinks: Prepared & hosted by Rovaco's Resident Chef Ashmita Biswas
Rovaco Dance Company Credits
Choreography: Rohan Bhargava in collaboration with the dancers
Resident Composer: Saúl Guanipa
Resident Dramaturg & Theater Curator: Mahima Saigal
Dancers: Nico Gonzales, Devika Chandnani, Karma Chuki, Isabele Rosso, Laila Garrett, & Connor Hestwood
About Rovaco Dance Company
Rovaco Dance Company, founded in NYC in 2015 by Rohan Bhargava, produces genre-defying multidisciplinary works. We blend Eastern and Western forms, including Bollywood, Bhangra, ballet, street jazz, floorwork, contemporary dance, and Indian street theater. Rovaco's work centers queerness and Indianness, both celebrating and critically interrogating the practice of these identities. Through open dialogue, a collaborative process, and presentation opportunities, we empower queer, South-Asian, BIPOC, immigrant, and contemporary artists to research sexuality, relationship dynamics, addiction under capitalism, gender and cultural norms, and the vestiges of colonial oppression. The company has received annual funding from the Brooklyn Arts Council since 2021. It was awarded the Dance Advancement Fund 2022-23 from Dance/NYC, the Choreography Pilot Program 2024 from Danse Mirage Foundation, Brooklyn Org's Microgrant 2026, and NYSCA's Support for Artists 2025 & Support for Organizations 2026.