Morning and Afternoon workshops

Jonathan Hollander engaged the students in a 20-minute introduction, describing the programs, activities and history of the Battery Dance Company and answering questions posed by the students. A BDC dancer taught two master classes for students from the National Academy supplemented by dancers from the Temple of Fine Arts, Sutra Dance Theatre, and two national folk ensembles. Although the class size had been limited to 30 students per session approximately 75 students participated. The first session consisted of a Pilates-based sequence of stretching, centering and strengthening exercises. Some of the students were familiar with the methodology, but for most, it was a first exposure. The students followed well and put in a great effort. There was a wide range of ability in the room but all stayed focused and determined. After lunch and informal conversations with some of the students, a 90-minute modern dance class was conducted. The elementary level of the students was more apparent in this segment in which basic across-the-floor and adagio phrases were taught. The energy and enthusiasm of the students more than made up for their basic level of mastery. Following the modern class, the students of the Academy performed a traditional Malaysian dance, which was exquisite and touching. The BDC teaching artist who had led the earlier classes performed a solo to great appreciation from the students. Her popularity with the students was evidenced at the show at SGM Auditorium two nights later with whoops and hollers from the audience when it was her turn to receive an award. BDC Tech Director Barry Steele worked on lighting/tech issues for the 3 performances the company would give on the 26, 27 and 28.

Performance at Sutra Dance Theatre

BDC dancers performed solos on a program which began with a classical Odissi duet performed by Ramli Ibrahim, one of the most highly respected local dancers, and his disciple, Revati. Though the weather was threatening, with rain falling 30 minutes before the scheduled start time, the weather cleared and the performance took place as scheduled, followed by a dinner served al fresco in the garden of Sutra House. The performance was attended by approximately 50 people -- culture vultures of K.L. including the Ambassadors of Australia, Switzerland, Czech Republic and staff from the national theater et al. The performance was aimed to highlight the possibility of building a local arts fraternity and to lead the way to future collaboration between the Embassy and Ibrahim’s Sutra Dance Theatre.

Performance for the Launch of MAFAA (Malaysian-American Friendship Alumni Association)

BDC performed Notebooks for approximately 300 guests. The audience was eating dinner during the performance, and despite best effort by the dancers, the impact was somewhat diluted. Many people were surprised by the aesthetic/style of the dancing - apparently having expected a more glitzy Vegas-style presentation. Conversely, Jonathan (a former Fulbrighter) was surprised at the lack of cultural sophistication of the audience comprising Fulbrighters and other international scholars. Despite this, the Cultural Coordinator of MAFAA approached Jonathan expressing interest in bringing BDC back to Malaysia for a longer, more comprehensive program of performances and outreach activities in the future. It remains to be seen to what extent this interest will translate into effective action. Likewise, a French national living in Malaysia and teaching music and art in a local school who attended both the Sutra Dance performance and the performance at the Renaissance promoted the idea of bringing BDC back to Malaysia.

Mainstage Performance at SGM Auditorium in Cheras

Jonathan met with Joseph Gonzales to share information on arts management, arts in education and trends in dance in New York. Gonzales expressed interest in developing an ongoing relationship with BDC. Jonathan also met with Ramli Ibrahim and Sutra Lighting Designer Shiva and discussed continued collaboration on a bilateral level. Approximately 1200 people attended the concert presented by BDC in Cheras, a location 30 - 45 minutes outside of K.L. 4 dance works were performed, showing the range of BDC's repertoire. The hall was full and the audience accorded BDC a standing ovation. The performance was outstandingly organized by the U.S. Embassy and the Soka Gakkai organization with very professional lighting and sound, coordinated by BDC's tech director Barry Steele, and organized with a rental package paid for by the U.S. Embassy. The rousing audience response (one of the most vocal BDC has ever received anywhere) demonstrated that modern dance could find a receptive audience in Malaysia. The Company was overwhelmed both by the cheers that followed their performances, and also by the lavish mementoes given by SGM to each member of the Company. The performance was followed by a light supper/reception at which time students from the National Arts Academy and other audience members had a chance to greet the dancers and share their reactions to the program. Jonathan was particularly struck by the comments of a young Malaysian writer who shared her thoughts about "Where There's Smoke" - which she deemed the most subtle and impressionistic work on the program; as well as expanding upon the Malaysian attitude towards Jews. Jonathan had mentioned in his remarks during the program that "Secrets of the Paving Stones" and its music by the Cracow Klezmer Band responded to the lost Jewish culture of Poland. The writer said that to her, dance is the best form of cultural ambassadorship - because it was abstract and therefore not subject to censorship, and yet potent and poignant in its emotional/philosophical impact. She said that Malaysians know nothing about Jews or Jewish culture, and that their prejudice cuts Jews two ways: as Zionists, they are despised as anti-Islam; as secularists, they are hated as denigrating the importance of religion.

“This activity helped develop new audiences for American modern dance. The Embassy has received many callbacks inquiring about Battery Dance Company’s next trip to Malaysia from this group of students. Students have expressed that the Battery Dance Company is sensitive to the local culture while imparting knowledge to them.” • Sadayan X. Riazurrahman, Cultural Affairs Specialist, U.S. Embassy Malaysia

Master Class in Modern Dance 1

The directors and one or two of the dancers of the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Company have had some exposure to the U.S. through a program sponsored by Dance Theatre Workshop. Several of the dancers have trained in Russia and France. The overall attitude was very welcoming and respectful. We learned an important lesson at this first program: that going for a master class in Vietnam is a big event, and that the formalities are important – be prepared to meet with the directors beforehand, share biographical information, establish mutual good will, present gifts (we had BDC Company t-shirts and brochures with us, luckily!). We were stunned not only by the fruits, elaborate flowers, gifts, etc., but also by the 25 foot cloth banner that was installed in the dance studio welcoming Battery Dance Company to the HBSO, with American and Vietnamese logos. We found similar treatment throughout HCMC, and somewhat less so in Hanoi. The heat was intense in the studio. Two BDC dancers gave a 45 minute technique warm-up, modern style, and then progressed to combinations, all of which were well executed by the participants. They were then asked to perform, so they each presented their solos which were accorded huge ovations by the Vietnamese dancers. We were then treated to three dance items from the HCMC Opera Ballet, including a traditional item in which a solo dancer carried a miniature golden temple on a platter while dancing, and two ensemble pieces. I was asked to approve the two items for inclusion in our program at the Opera House, a courtesy that touched me.

Master Class in Ballet

We visited HCMC Dance School, met with the directors and instructors and students in a preliminary get-together (again with much fruit, cookies and water) and the sharing of biographical information around the table by the entire faculty of the school and some senior students. The ballet master class was taught to approximately 50 students, observed by another 25 - 30 students and all of the faculty. The students acquitted themselves to varied effect. We spotted some problems in the training (students forcing 180-degree turnout that they were unable to support, leaning back, etc.) but because this was a one-time class, and with all of the faculty carefully observing, we kept criticism to a minimum and dispensed it light-handedly.

Master Class in Hip Hop

The same students who attended the master ballet class also participated in this short hip hop class. Teens are teens anywhere in the world, so the students who had looked stylized and elegant in the ballet class immediately morphed into urban toughs with the requisite attitude and posturing in order to approach the material the teacher gave them. All gathered around at the end for the obligatory group photos.

Solo Project Performance

We all adjourned to the school’s auditorium for a presentation of Solo performances by 3 members of Battery Dance and 3 dance items by the school dancers. Then the BDC dancers (and Jonathan) learned the Bamboo Pole Dance, traditional Vietnamese folk dance, causing much hilarity among the participants (we had to hop down a line of dancers who were slamming bamboo poles together – staying in rhythm and placing our feet properly, or else risk having our ankles slammed!)

Master Class in Modern Dance 2

The second modern master class was taught at the HCMC Theatrical Company attended by 25 dancers, professionals and amateurs, ages 19 – 25. These skilled dancers represented a pretty high level of modern technique. This group was led by a choreographer whose talent and artistry was immediately apparent through the short ensemble piece that his dancers showed for us after the master class. He has visited New York’s Dance Theatre Workshop and is very open to collaboration and interaction. Many of his dancers were familiar to us as they were also members of the HBSO and had taken part in the first modern master class the previous day. His group is an independent company and suffers the indignities and challenges of neither having official recognition nor funding. They perform for corporate events and the like in order to bring in whatever revenues they can, but it appears to be a mostly self-supported effort at this point (despite its extremely high level.)

Matinee Performance at the HCMC Opera House

The program included 4 works by Battery Dance Company straddling two works by the HSOB Company. We were gratified by a full house and generous applause. Comments during and after the performance indicated that the audience was sophisticated and varied in its taste. Holding hands with our colleagues from the local HSOB in the final curtain call felt great!

During the week of January 27th, 2005, the 60th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz, the American choreographers Aviva Geismar and Jonathan Hollander traveled to Germany on a grant from the U.S. Government to present their project “Dances for the Blue House.”

Dancers, students, teachers and community, foundation, corporate and government leaders offered to join the project, strengthening and expanding it into a truly bilateral effort. Together they have forged a joint approach to the exploration of a universal issue: how do the next generations of Germans and Americans respond to the Holocaust?

At the heart of this expansive program of international cultural exchange is The Blue House project of Breisach, that demonstrates poignantly and powerfully the actions individuals can take to change attitudes and air social and historical injustices in their communities. The Blue House is an old building which served as the gathering place Battery Dance Company in “Secrets of the Paving Stones” by J. Hollander for Breisach’s 300-year- old Jewish community up until the community’s demise. After decades of neglect and decay, the house was slated to be torn down in 1999. Instead, it was purchased by a group of community members, the Förderverein, and restored as a living museum and memorial. With the building as a base, the Forderverein searched for the survivors of Breisach’s Jewish Community and their descendents. These individuals have returned to Breisach three times at the invitation of the Forderverein and the town government, and have shared their histories with community members and schools. The Forderverein, in its endeavor to enlarge the scope of its programs, has invited Geismar and Hollander to develop this new initiative joining art and social consciousness.

Jonathan recalls that Walking through the streets of Breisach and Freiburg during those days of summer, 2006, was like time-traveling. He said:

I passed shoulder-to-shoulder with University students, holiday revelers, shopkeepers and shoppers, while simultaneously feeling the presence of the Jewish deportees, Nazi soldiers and everyday people of the 1930’s and 40’s in a surreal, layered march of time. The teenagers of Freiburg schools were unflinching as they created their emotional choreographies, avoiding the easy pull of show-off dancing; exposing a profound depth of feelings through movement. They tore at my heart, those young people, giving me renewed hope for the future and a surety that the ghosts I passed on the streets were smiling.

Arriving in the storybook architecture of Castle Hill, the essential tourist stop of this Middle European capital, sits the Nemzeti Tancszinhas, the National Dance Theatre. BDC would perform here during the visit to Budapest.
Next-door neighbor to the President's Palace, it is a grand building which looks pretty special to us with its large Battery Dance Company poster displayed prominently in a vitrine on the front facade, next to a poster for Ballet Rambert. (The Rambert is England's oldest ballet company, former breeding ground of Frederick Ashton, Antony Tudor and Margot Fonteyn.) On the night of the performance, our dancers and lighting supervisor lived up to the billing in every respect. Rhythmic applause and multiple curtain calls testified to the strong audience response.

On the second day in Budapest, having been welcomed with an elegant dinner at the residence of Ambassador on the night of our arrival, our dancers each taught a workshop for the local dance community. From 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., six BDC each brought their specialty (ranging from ballet to modern to Pilates, hip hop and repertory) at the atmospheric Mozdulatművészeti Stúdió.

After a late night of hanging and focusing lights (and negotiating in Hungarian) with a professional technical crew at the Tettye Amphitheater, we were forced to cool our heels the next day when rain stalled our momentum. Communications were problematic – our liaison here was an 18-year-old who has just graduated from high school and confesses, sheepishly, that he was “hung over” from the various parties going on each night. How, we wondered, would we negotiate through all of the issues of food, logistics, technical set-up and the like.

We were to have performed the evening of June 20 among the Roman walls of the Tettye Amphitheater on the mountain overlooking this town. By mid-day, it appeared prescient that we had insisted on scheduling a rain-date months ago, and allowed for it in our travel schedule, though we still hoped that the squall outside would pass. Unfortunately, with mud all over the "backstage" area and intermittent showers all day, that was not to be. Our “sponsor” finally emerged from his inaccessibility at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday and demanded that we go ahead with the performance.

We were supported by Christine Elder, Cultural Affairs Officer of the U.S. Embassy who had come down from Budapest with the Embassy driver, Attila, to see how our performance went over in the provinces. Attila served as interpreter in the meeting and we explained why dancers could not safely dance under the circumstances. Though we held tight to our decision to postpone, our “sponsor” gave us the distinct impression that he thought we were prima donnas, spoiled New Yorkers. And his final words (in Hungarian) were: “Well, it will probably rain even harder tomorrow!”

The next day, Monday, was gloriously sunny, and we managed to get the stage area cleaned and to do our afternoon rehearsal. Putting the dancers through their paces on this particular stage was vitally important because 16th century monastery walls do not provide the easiest way to enter, exit and cross-over as you would do on an ordinary stage; and even more confusing, there wasn't a right angle in the place! "Where is center???” "Where is front?” “Where the audience is sitting, or perpendicular to the back wall?” (NOT the same, in this case!)

The funniest and most emblematic moment of our stay in Pécs occurred during our rehearsal in the afternoon on Monday. The “cleaning lady” had finally arrived by bus to mop the stage and do her best to clean the offstage run-ways of mud. None of the technicians had agreed to do this, their body language and grumblings making it crystal clear that cleaning was not in their job descriptions. Mike Riggs, our intrepid technical director, and I were pretty much reconciled to doing it ourselves but the “cleaning lady” appeared and … cleaned. Then she sat in the audience and watched the dancers warming up, and engaging in their usual chatter. At one point, when someone uttered a rhetorical question, and an answer emanated from the seats, in English, we had a Eureka! Moment: the “cleaning lady” speaks English! And what’s more she’s smart. And what’s more, she’s nice, and friendly,!

From that moment on Kata, a.k.a. “The Cleaning Lady”, was our constant companion.

At any rate, back to Monday and the business for which we were there: darkness fell as did the temperature -- translation: audience wearing furry vests and woolens; dancers in skimpy leotards! Fortunately, the choreography kept the dancers warm enough on stage, and when off, they rushed for the changing rooms (trailers equipped with heaters.) "Mother Goose"... in its white satiny costumes, was more dreamlike than ever in the moonlight against the stone walls of the monastery ruins. I wonder what the monks would have thought of the eroticism in the piece! The local newspaper photographer zeroed in on a particularly graphic moment, and we found a large photo in the paper on Wednesday. "Secrets of the Paving Stones" with its austere beginning and quasi - theatrical nature was another highlight of the performance and earned repeated curtain calls.

After the performance, the company had an unexpected day off – no one in Pécs had organized the “workshops” that were on the schedule. So Kata, “The Cleaning Lady” made a call, engaged a mini-van with driver, shuttled us up to the lake at the top of the mountain, called another friend who runs a kayak and canoe rental business, organized free boats for us, guided us to a secluded dock from which diving and swimming was perfect; found a country inn where we could have espressos and local wine, and delivered us safely back to Pécs afterwards.

Battery Dance Company returned to Poland in June, 2004, with a team of 8 people: 6 dancers, artistic director and technical director. The Tour constituted Battery’s 6th visit to Poland since 1996. The raison d’être behind Battery’s 2004 tour was two-fold: to participate in the New New Yorkers Festival in Warsaw and the Malta Festival in Poznan; and to present “Secrets of the Paving Stones” and “Between Heaven & Earth”, two works that had been created over the previous months to music by the Craców Klezmer Band, for Polish audiences.

When we arrived in Warsaw, we loaded into the Studio Theater, that occupies a quadrant of the massive Soviet-era Palace of Culture. On previous tours of Poland, I had looked at this pile that dominates central Warsaw from the safe distance of the Maly Theater, a lovely and intimate haven of drama and dance across the street. This time we are the featured performance on the inaugural evening of the New New Yorkers Festival presented by the U.S. Embassy, and have a second evening as well.

We were pictured in Polish Newsweek, adjacent to an article on Daniel Libeskind, who was also a part of the Festival! In the end, full houses and repeated curtain calls feel awfully good!

Our dancers restored themselves on two mornings with a ballet class given by Warsaw’s prima ballerina and international ballet competition judge Ewa Głowacka, who came to our performance on the second night with her husband, a conductor. They rushed backstage afterwards and hugged and kissed all of us and thanked us for our performance. What an honor!!

Mention must be made at this point of Pawel Pniewski, who currently serves as technical director for one of Warsaw’s most prominent theaters. Pawel had accompanied us on our previous Polish tours, in 2000 and 2002, serving as co-technical director, interpreter and guide. Busily engaged with his own projects this summer, he nevertheless found time to find lighting equipment to equip our theaters as well as intervening with intractable directors, and finding Ewa to teach us!

Likewise, Multi-Communications President Malgorzata Bekier and her daughter Judyta welcomed us in Warsaw, helped interpret in the theater, and soothed our ruffled feathers afterwards. The person-to-person aspect of their friendship, loyalty and generosity helped us regain our balance.

Battery Dance Company returned to Poland in June, 2004, with a team of 8 people: 6 dancers, artistic director and technical director. The Tour constituted Battery’s 6th visit to Poland since 1996. The raison d’être behind Battery’s 2004 tour was two-fold: to participate in the New New Yorkers Festival in Warsaw and the Malta Festival in Poznan; and to present “Secrets of the Paving Stones” and “Between Heaven & Earth”, two works that had been created over the previous months to music by the Craców Klezmer Band, for Polish audiences.

Our first performance at the 14th International Malta Festival took place on a special covered stage erected for us in the courtyard of the Zamek (castle). Cold weather was a hardship for the dancers, only somewhat offset by electric heaters in the changing tents on either side of the stage. However, they danced magnificently and were rewarded with a sensational response from the audience.

The next day thunder clouds blew in during the afternoon and there was torrential rain and lightning. Huddled in an arcade amongst the old central market square buildings in the old town, we thought….”not again!!!” We were determined to go on, but the temperature was also dropping fast (I think it must have been about 50 F by curtain time, with blustery winds and intermittent rain). A conference was held and our dancers, affected by the sight of the large and intrepid audience waiting patiently in the courtyard (without covering), decided to perform “Notebooks” and two solos (Sean's and Stevan's.) The extended applause from the drenched audience assured us that our efforts were appreciated.

I wish to express the entire Company’s appreciation to Izabella Szarek for her expert, sensitive and effective handling of our tour of Poland. We shall all miss Andy Koss and appreciate his vision and support. Magda Wacisz, Renata Czerw and Jolanta Kepinska were all involved in helping us in the preliminaries and on the ground for the tour in various respects, and we are deeply grateful to all of them.

Battery Dance Company showcased for Moroccan audiences the best of the best of America’s modern dance scene with two public performances. One in Casablanca, and another in Rabat. During the trip, the company worked with the U.S. Mission to reach out to a “younger, wider, deeper” audience through an intense series of workshops with young Moroccan dancers and musicians in Casablanca and Rabat during the March 10-17 visit.

Top-notch professionals, the Company members (most in their 20s) also demonstrated their unsurpassed human touch by working with both budding ballet and “urban cool” hip-hop dancers with equal enthusiasm. Embodying at once self-discipline and focus, as well as openness and an egalitarian spirit, the young Americans impressed and disarmed their initially skeptical counterparts, breaking down barriers of language, religion and class to reach the shared common ground of art and human expression.

In the first Dancing To Connect workshop in Casablanca, approximately 50 dancers, ages 18 – 30 attended (all male except for one young woman). Some were from Casablanca and others had traveled several hours to get there. BDC dancers invited the students to demonstrate their own dance routines (break dance was the universal medium). After about 45 minutes of demonstrations, BDC took over.

BDC Dancers Lauren Alzamora and Kyla Ernst-Alper led a group of about 25 interested participants in a class based on Pilates and various dance stretch techniques. Fellow BDC Dancer, Sean Scantlebury, followed with exercises across the floor including jumps and turns. There was a good feeling in the room – of mutual respect and sharing of new ideas.

Ballet, Hip-Hop, Modern and Injury-Prevention master classes were lead by BDC dancers the following day at Moulay Rashid Cultural Complexe in Casablanca. The dancers also presented studio showings of Solo's during this time. The trip to Moulay Rashid concluded with a performance that was attended by approximately 600 people. This included the Mayor of Casablanca and U.S. Embassy officials. The Company was accorded a standing ovation and 50+ audience members and VIP’s waited 30 minutes after the performance to greet and thank the performers.

BDC then traveled to Rabat, where after a lunch meeting and tech rehearsal - the company lead Urban Dance, Ballet, Jazz and Music workshops. BDC musicians felt it was a successful interaction; new ideas were shared on both sides.

The company then moved on to the Circus School in Salé (twin sister to Rabat), where they lead three dance workshops. These workshops went extremely well. The school was very anxious to participate and everyone cooperated in setting up the space appropriately, moving tumbling mats, laying down Marley floor (BDC supplied the tape to adhere the Marley which belongs to the school).
The students worked very hard in each workshop and showed excellent concentration and ability to digest new techniques. Similarly, three music workshops at the Music Conservatory of Rabat also took place with jazz musicians and ganaouas, who are also conservatory students or teachers. The workshops were held by the three BDC musicians; Frank Carlberg, Christine Correa and Yousif Sheronick.

BDC's trip to Morocco Concluded with a Performance at the Mohammed V Theater in Rabat; a Full-house including Ambassador & Mrs. Riley, DCM, Mrs. Bush and various leaders of the government and arts community of Morocco attended.
Hosted by the Ambassador, the Rabat program opened with a widely-appreciated moment of silence in memory of the victims of the recent tragedies at Al Hoceima (earthquake) and Madrid and closed with two groups of Moroccan dancers (one “hip-hop”) joining with BDC in a surprise performance of two pieces prepared at workshops only a day before. The audience was delighted to see “their” boys and girls literally on an equal footing with the American “stars.”

The Rabat performance was a sold-out show (recorded for local Moroccan Television) to an audience of 1,600 spectators, who ranged from young Moroccan “urban cool” street dancers, to two government ministers.

In March 2004 the Battery Dance Company gave two dazzling performances and conducted several workshops in Tunisia.

In Tunis, the group ran workshops over two days with the National Circus School, and the modern dance company of Syhem Belhoja. They gave a performance on March 19 at the Municipal Theatre, a beaux-arts jewel built in 1906, for over 500 people. A mix of invited and paying guests, the Tunis crowd was particularly appreciative of the mix of live music with dance. Students in particular were very enthusiastic about the performances.

In Tunis, BDC's percussionist Yousif Sheronick met with some of Tunisia's leading musicians. The group began their stay with a press conference, and the Artistic Director Jonathan Hollander also gave several interviews during the March 19 performance. The diverse origins of the group were often noted.

Battery Dance Company was covered widely in the print media, and was featured on the radio and TV. Tickets were given away on the new private station Radio Mosaique, and a tape from the March 19 performance was aired on a special cultural program on Tunisian TV on March 22. Ambassador Hudson hosted the group for a farewell reception on March 22, at which diplomatic, artistic and media contacts all congratulated BDC for their role as cultural ambassadors.

In Sfax, Battery Dance Company performed for around 350 people at the Municipal Theatre, as the first event celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the theater. The crowd was again largely young, and they whistled, clapped and stomped their approval. The excitement generated by the group was captured in one article with the headline (in English) "Go, Go, Go!" that reviewed their performance.

Several told PA afterward they had never seen anything like it. The size of the audience in Sfax was noteworthy in that BDC performed on a Sunday during a national holiday. The response of audiences to the group was fabulous. For example, in Sfax, just announcing that the group was coming from New York City produced applause.

In Sfax some of the musicians with the group led to BDC holding a workshop with 25 students at the Higher Institute of Music.