Battery Dance TV Free Weekly Virtual Dance Classes For Kids

In the wake of school closures, Battery Dance knows things are difficult for both teachers and students. As such, they will now offer free virtual dance classes for kids through Battery Dance TV in order to help keep minds and bodies engaged during this time. Children will be guided through classes with our teaching artists across New York, helping to keep them active as well as connected in this time of isolation. For elementary school students aged 5 and up, half-hour classes include:

Hip-Hop for Kids

Mondays and Fridays at 3pm

Learn a new hip-hop style each week! Including popping and locking, dance hall, breakdancing, and more!

Teacher: Hussein Smko

All Kids Dance

Wednesdays at 3pm

Learn to move your whole body. Stretch and learn dance moves and dance vocabulary.

Teacher: Mira Cook

For more information and to view classes, visit http://www.batterydance.org/dancetv.

Battery Dance launched Battery Dance TV on March 27, 2020 at https://batterydance.org/dancetv/ to provide free live dance classes and programming for the general public by Battery Dance and affiliated artists through a regularly scheduled program. Faced with the cancellation of its New York City public school dance classes and the postponement of its State Department Nigeria tour, and with its popular dance studios closed, the company staff members went into high gear (from living rooms and kitchens), creating online content. In its first five weeks, Battery Dance TV has been seen by more than 50,000 viewers in over 100 countries.

"Battery Dance TV allows us to continue connecting people across the world through dance at this time of social distancing and isolation," says Hollander. "We and everyone we know at home and abroad are facing emotional, psychological, physical and financial challenges. For 44 years, we have explored the power of dance as an art form and a means for social impact and connection. We found a way to continue now when the need is so great, and my respected friends and colleagues Ramli and Joseph illustrate the fact that far-flung dance leaders have done so too."

Battery Dance TV's regularly scheduled offerings include:

• morning warmup/stretching/conditioning exercises to start your day off right

• mid-day classes in contemporary dance with afro, ballet and jazz fusion elements

• evening classes in varied ballroom styles

• a daily 4pm short video by dancers performing in their living rooms

Battery Dance will tap into its international network to host Artists Talks every Sunday at 9:00 AM (Eastern Time) with performers based in New York and from around the world, followed by Sunday classes in international dance genres such as Bharatanatyam dance from India, and African Fusion from South Africa.

Battery Dance also plans to expand its distance learning and programming by including online classes in lighting and production design, and classes in arts administration and cultural diplomacy. In the future, the Company plans to add short performances by youth around the world who will create short dances based on a specific weekly theme suggested by the Company.

Morning Classes & Instructors

Flow - Vivake Khamsingsavath

Stretch & Strength - Mira Cook

Conditioning - Sean Scantlebury

Afternoon Contemporary Classes & Instructors

Jazz Fusion - Jill Linkowski

Ballet Fusion, Improv and Musical Theatre - Bethany Mitchell

Storytelling & Repertoire - Hussein Smko

Afro Fusion - Sean Scantlebury

Evening Ballroom Classes & Instructor

Cha Cha, Salsa, Waltz, Fox Trot, Tango, Rumba, Swing - Razvan Stoian

Mira Cook joined Battery Dance in 2010. A native of Austin, Texas, she studied and performed with Ballet Austin and the Austin Dance Ensemble and danced in California with City Ballet of San Diego and Liss Fain Dance of San Francisco. With Battery Dance, she has performed and taught Dancing to Connect workshops in Africa, Asia, South America, Europe and the Caribbean. She was the Battery Dance artist-in-residence at Bay Ridge Elementary School for the Arts, PS 257 and Curtis High School. Mira's choreography has been presented by Battery Dance Company, City Ballet of San Diego, The Austin Dance Ensemble and SUSHI Performance and Visual Art. Mira is a singer/composer and performs regularly in New York City and abroad and has released three solo albums. Mira says, "Dancing is my joy. I love getting to share this with students and collaborators in different places around the world. I learn so much."

Hussein Smko is a 25-year old Iraqi of Arab/Kurdish roots. A self-trained dancer/choreographer whose talent was spotted by Battery Dance over social media in the summer of 2014, he was subsequently trained via Skype from his home in Iraq connected with Battery Dance practitioners in their studios in New York City. He managed to get to the U.S. in early 2016 and was granted Permanent Resident Status. He began his residency with Battery Dance as the first recipient of the Adel Euro Campaign for Dancers Seeking Refuge in January of 2017. Since then he has performed in his own choreography as well as with the ensemble in two Battery Dance Seasons, at the Battery Dance Festival and on tour during Battery Dance's residency with the Fort Wayne Dance Collective where he also taught workshops for the community and elementary schools. He has taught for Battery Dance in New York City public schools and at the New York Public Library and USC in Los Angeles for a Spoken Word and Dance program with Iraqi journalist Riyadh Mohammed.