International Arts in Education

Through this reciprocal program, the Company and its international partners introduce new visions of dance to thousands of students, developing new audiences and personalizing an experience of "foreign" cultures.

Individualized instruction and group workshops, often with live musical accompaniment, are incorporated with moderated lecture-demonstrations.

PROJECTS OF THE PAST SEASON

JAPAN
Jam-packed Master classes and workshops in the Battery Dance Company style were held throughout an entire afternoon at the Chacott Studios in Shibuya, Tokyo. The students, though limited by the space, took every opportunity to meet the challenge with smiles, laughter, and amazing results! Mukogawa Women's University invited dance majors from surrounding colleges in the Kansai region to attend an afternoon of hip-hop and modern classes in their facilities near Osaka. BDC's Sean Scantlebury was only momentarily dazed by the 50+ students who thronged into his hip-hop session. At the end, he showed some astonishment that even in such a crowd, everyone had mastered his moves in a very stylish way.

SRI LANKA
Teaming up with their compatriots at the Chitrasena Dance Company and Neelung Dance Academy, and facilitated by the deft hand of Public Affairs Officer Terry White at the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, BDC teaching artists offered hip-hop, modern and ballet classes in the lovely setting of The historic Dutch Burgher Union (no connection with Hollander!) for local professional dancers and students.

CAMBODIA
Guided by U.S. Cultural Affairs Officer Jeff Daigle and in perfect tandem with Fred Frumberg and his team at Amrita Performing Arts, BDC teaching artists created a two-segment Homage to Cambodia, with twenty-two young professionals of the Cambodian classical (Apsara)and folk dance community. Though these dancers were previously unfamiliar with modern dance, their passion to learn and impeccable physical and emotional engagement made the experience deeply inspiring, and stunned the audience at Chaktamouk Hall (including Cambodia's King Sihamoni and U.S. Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli).

PHILIPPINES
Despite a brief stop of three days in Manila, BDC teaching artists enjoyed the opportunity of teaching ballet, modern and hip-hop workshops to professionals and students at the Cultural Center of the Philippines before their two performances. The technical level and verve of the local dancers was a great reward for their efforts!

TAIWAN
Eleven master classes and workshops were held in Taipei and two outlying cities during our 8 days in Taiwan. A choreography workshop with the teachers of Cloud Gate Kids was a memorable experience for Jonathan Hollander, who rhapsodized afterwards about the creativity, originality and ease in collaboration of these brilliant young dance pedagogues. Each company member returned from his/her assignments exhausted but flush with inspiration about the dedication and high technical level of the Taiwanese dancers. No surprise to us at BDC because of our wonderful decade of partnerships in New York with Hsin-Ping Chang, Nai-Yu Kuo, Ruping Wang and Bulareyaung Pagarlava, the latter three with whom we relished in joyous reunions!