Program and Event

Battery Dance Company Electrifies Laos Audiences

Dancers recreate the antics of high school students in the piece “I’ll Take You There”

The Company performs “Shell Games,” their newest piece

New York City’s Battery Dance Company thrilled audiences in Vientiane on April 22 with a public performance before an audience of over 900 at the National Cultural Hall and two master classes for 70 local dancers. This modern dance company selected four pieces from its repertoire to showcase a wide range of American dance. At the end of their performance, local dancers from the Lao Bang Fai group rushed the stage to perform a piece they learned during the earlier master classes.

Battery Dance Company performances are characterized by eclectic and highly original choreography and music inspired by worldwide sources, reflecting the multiplicity of cultures that make up American society. Jonathan Hollander, founder and resident choreographer, works in his own contemporary vein built on a traditional base, creating compelling works executed by world-class performers. The Battery Dance Company’s success demonstrates that dance can build bridges between languages and cultures.

For over a decade, Battery Dance Company has represented the U.S. overseas and has developed international cultural exchange programs in the realm of dance and the performing arts. Their tour of Asia included performances in Korea, China, Mongolia, Burma, Taiwan, and Laos. The performances in Laos were jointly sponsored by the U.S. Embassy and the Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs.