The Queensboro Dance Festival, which presents only Queens-based choreographers, will open October 18-23 at the Secret Theatre (44-02 23rd St) in Long Island City. As a unique platform where cultural and contemporary dance intersect, the festival is an annual representation of professional dance-making in the quickly developing borough. Tickets ($15) for the festival are on sale now at www.queensborodancefestival.com.
The festival will showcase 27 professional Queens-based choreographers and dance companies from all corners of the borough, spanning from Briarwood to Long Island City, Floral Park to Howard Beach. Dance genres represented are as diverse as the neighborhoods they hail from, featuring Indian, tap, Brazil Zouk, hip-hop, Chinese, contemporary, Mayan, ballet, and Filipino.
In the months leading up to performance week, the Queensboro Dance Festival hosts meet-and-greets, events at Queens businesses and arts institutions, free dance classes, and free outdoor previews as opportunities for Queens dancers to connect with one another and engage the local public.
“You get to see a slice of what Queens dance is–who the artists are and what they are creating here,” says festival founder/director Karesia Batan. “It’s about cultivating a stronger sense of the Queens dance community for both the dancers and the public.”
This year’s participating companies are:
Barbara Mahler
Jessica Feng Performance Company
Q&A Productions
Ezra Goh
#taplife
Cole Collective
Ella Rosewood Dance
LVCID
NSquared Dance
Nicolosi and Dancers
Brandon Welch Creative Projects
Rastro
Coopdanza Inc
KINEMATIK Dance Theater
Micca
MEGUS
Megan Stricker
SUNPROJECT
SIA Academy
The Solettes
L E M I collective
Awaken Dance Theater
Collaborart SIN
Dance Into Light
Xiang Xu Dance Theatre
Dugal Dance Projects
The Rogue Dancers
For full performance schedule, event listings, and more please visit www.queensborodancefestival.com.
Official festival kick-off party will be open to the public and held on Friday, October 14th, 6-9pm at LIC Beer Project.
The Queensboro Dance Festival launched in 2014 with the mission to strengthen the dance identity in Queens and bring the local community together through dance. The Queensboro Dance Festival is a program presented by The Physical Plant, a dance + production company based in Long Island City led by founder/director Karesia Batan. The Physical Plant was founded in 2010 with a two-pronged purpose: to create meaningful dance works, and to provide innovative dance programming that bridges various communities within Queens and the arts.
