Battery Dance Presents Free Performances in Battery Park

Battery Dance celebrates the art of dance in its home community this August, in partnership with Battery Park City Authority. On Saturday, August 9, the Company celebrates the re-opening of Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park, following a two-year pause during which it was rebuilt as part of a coastal resiliency effort to protect Battery Park City and lower Manhattan from storm surge and sea level rise. A medley of dance companies will present a 1-hour program opened by Indigenous performer Marie Poncé, followed by tap-dancer John Manzari with a live band.  Battery Dance presents Frontiers by Turkish-Dutch choreographer Rutkay Özpinar and Limón Dance Company caps off the evening with the classic work A Choreographic Offering created by José Limón in 1964.

The following week brings the 44th Annual Battery Dance Festival enlivening Rockefeller Park from August 12-16, 2025, with a rain date on August 17. New York City’s longest-running free public dance festival brings together eight diverse dance companies from around the world coupled with a dynamic roster of eight New York-based companies. The free series of events celebrates the universal language of dance with a mix of performances, workshops, and immersive experiences for audiences of all ages.

The five-night performance line-up features a plethora of premieres and several performances featuring live music.  Crowds of over 12,000 in-person and over 35,000 virtual viewers typically flock to the Festival each summer, with audiences glorying in the opportunity to experience dance against the spectacular water, sky and cityscape backdrop.

“Battery Dance stands committed to providing the enlightenment and transcendence of dance free to the public despite the shattering of precedents we had taken for granted. We prevailed through Superstorm Sandy’s flooding of lower Manhattan, the financial crisis of the 2008/09 recession, and the attacks on the World Trade Center,” said Jonathan Hollander, artistic director of Battery Dance. “Thanks to our partners at Battery Park City Authority, our sponsors and donors, and the dancers and staff and Board of Battery Dance and all the participants who join us in the timeless pursuit of community gathering and beauty, we are prevailing again!”

“For more than a decade our beautiful public spaces have played host to the beauty of the Battery Dance Festival, and we’re honored this year to host events both as part of Wagner Park’s reopening celebration, and in Rockefeller Park for five more fantastic evenings of dance,” said BPCA President & CEO Raju Mann. “A neighborhood favorite and staple of Battery Park City’s summer programming calendar, the Festival provides New Yorkers a front-row seat to world-class talent, and we thank our partners at Battery Dance for this enduring partnership.”

The Battery Dance Festival returns with an exhilarating lineup of performances, kicking off with a special celebratory event, Dance @ The New Wagner Park, on Saturday, August 9 at 7:00 PM. This vibrant evening marks the reopening of Wagner Park, featuring Battery Dance alongside acclaimed artists such as Marie Poncé, The Limón Dance Company, and tap dancer John Manzari & Band, promising a dynamic showcase of diverse dance styles. The festival continues from Tuesday, August 12 to Saturday, August 16, with nightly performances at 7:00 PM, presenting a global array of talent and premieres that highlight the richness of contemporary dance.

On August 12, the festival opens with John Manzari & Band, followed by excerpts of Recenter (USA), Pace University’s Dancing to Connect led by Robin Cantrell, and Battery Dance’s world premiere of Sense of Belonging by Faizah Grootens, alongside her piece While You’re Here (Netherlands) and Colors by Taiwan’s Bulareyaung Dance Company. Wednesday, August 13, features a world premiere of Verso Roto by Spain’s UNARTE, Eden by South Korea/Germany’s Theater Plauen-Zwickau Ballet Ensemble, and the U.S. premiere of Balkan Ballerinas by Romania’s Platforma 13, among others. The momentum continues on August 14 with works like La Manta de Reina by Kar-mel Small (USA), Sospiri by Buglisi Dance Theatre (USA), and Battery Dance’s world premiere of Empty Hand by Damani Pompey.

Friday, August 15, celebrates India Day: Dances of Kerala, showcasing dancers and musicians from five traditional dance, theater, and martial arts forms from Kerala—Kalaripayattu, Kutiyattam, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, and Theyyam—offering a vibrant cultural immersion. The festival concludes on August 16 with a diverse lineup, including In Search of You by Bangladesh’s Mofassal Al Alif, the world premiere of Aeternus Viator by Ô’tänamos (USA), Mak Long by Indonesia’s Wan Dance in its New York debut, Swallow by Dorchel Haqq (USA), and a performance by Al-Dal’ouna Dabka Team (USA). With a program subject to change, this week-long celebration at Battery Park showcases an extraordinary blend of global and local talent, making it a must-see for dance enthusiasts.

Visit  https://batterydance.org/ for more details.

Battery Dance Frontiers group, photo by Steven Pisano