MSU Department of Dance organized concert by famous Battery Dance Company from New York

The performance ‘Shakti: A return to the Source’ is by internationally
acclaimed choreographer Jonathan Hollander and his troupe

MSU
Department of Dance has organized concert by famous The Battery Dance Company
from New York in Vadodara on the first day of 2020. The performance ‘Shakti: A
return to the Source’ is by internationally acclaimed choreographer Jonathan
Hollander and his troupe.

Jonathan Hollander is a known personality in the field of dance beginning with his founding of Battery Dance in Lower Manhattan in 1976 at a time when the area was devoid of culture. Six years later he founded the Battery Dance Festival which is now New York City’s longest running public dance festival.

Battery
Dance Company is considered a pioneer in expanding New York’s arts scene to
lower Manhattan. In addition to offering dance classes, the Battery Dance
Studio has been the site of salon events featuring many notable Indian artists.

Hollander
spent three months in India as a Fulbright Lecturer on Dance in 1992, during
which time he deepened his connections to the Indian dance community.

He taught
workshops at the Darpana and Kadamb Institutions in Ahmedabad, M.S. University
in Baroda, Nalanda Dance Institute and NCPA in Mumbai and his company undertook
a six-city tour of India. The following year he organized the American debut
and tour of the Jhaveri Sisters renowned exponents of Manipuri Dance.

“It’s a
privilege for me to once again come to the city rich in cultural values and the
rich legacy of MSU Performing Arts Faculty. However the university is not
invested on theatre which is bad. The theatre deserve better floor, lights and
infrastructure which we don’t find at present,” said Hollander.

Five dancers
from America and one from India will perform on stage building the bridge
between Contemporary and Indian dance forms.

Department
of Dance got established in 1950. The department was fortunate to have the
legendary Gurus llke Mohan Khokhar, Kubernath Tanjorkar, Pandit Sunderlal
Gangani, Smt. Anjali Merh and Prof C.V Chandrashekhar. It is worth mentioning
that Jonathan Hollander and his Battery Dance Company performed in 1993 in this
department during the tenure of Prof. C.V Chandrashekhar and today Prof.
Jagdish Gangani, Head of Department of Dance has bridge the gap of 28 years by
Inviting Jonathan Hollander and his Battery Dance Company once again In the
department. This has definitely added one more feather in the department’s
glory.

The program
is scheduled of 1st January 2020 at Prof. C.C.Mehta auditorium from 8.30 pm
onwards. The department has also organised workshop of modern dance on 2nd
January 2020 for the students at Concert Hall, Faculty of Performing Arts.