Meet theDancers JOIN OUR 10X10 Meet theDancers JOIN OUR 10X10 2024 Queensboro Dance Festival Participants Meet all 24 Queens-based dance companies touring with us this summer! Click on a photo to learn more. Silvana Brizuela WeigelRepresenting: Jackson Heights Performing: Argentine Folk Mission: Sharing the essence of Argentine Culture through the traditional dances of Folklore, Tango & Fusion. Photo credit Horacio Morales DANCE FOR THE PEOPLERepresenting: Flushing Performing: Chinese Contemporary About: Using modern dance elements to present Chinese cultural elements we hope to expound converse dynamic elements such as “static in motion” to achieve the balance of Yin and Yang around this philosophical idea. Photo credit Wudao Fengbao Kinding SindawRepresenting: Jackson Heights Performing: Indigenous Southern Philippine dances Artistic Director Potri Ranka Manis is a registered nurse and Maranao tradition-bearer from Mindanao, Philippines. She believes that in teaching and performing these dances, music and chants, communities will be inspired to take action in defending indigenous traditions and the land on which we live. Photo credit Dillon Wright Kalli SiamidouRepresenting: Jamaica Performing: Greek Zeibekiko "I aim to honor, preserve and continue the cultural heritage from which it stems while infusing it with my own modern perspective. This Zeibekiko, with its profound emotional depth, serves as a bridge between the past and the present, Asia Minor and New York, fostering a dialogue that transcends cultural differences and unites us in the essence of simply being human. It is a dance of solitude, a solitary journey that echoes the highs and lows of life's unpredictable twists and turns. Photo credit Jeong Park Chieh & YoyoRepresenting: Elmhurst and Astoria Performing: Taiwainese Contemporary Chieh creates choreography through Yoyo’s violin movements while Yoyo dances and plays violin simultaneously. By combining western culture with Taiwanese culture, they hope to increase the visibility of their home country. QDF2024 will continue our fictional love story from the past. Photo credit Pratya Jankong The Kingdom Dance CompanyRepresenting: Rosedale Performing: Hip-hop Our dances dream to move audiences with storytelling, fusing spoken word, music, singing & art to create cohesive performances that depict uplifting themes conquering rugged tribulations. We highlight and enrich the lives of artists from different socio-economic backgrounds and disability statuses with affordable training, instruction, and immersive workshops during training to recognize the individual & artist. Our goal is to create healing through art and art that heals. Photo credit Josef Pinlac Umami PlaygroundRepresenting: Long Island City Performing: Street Styles Umami Playground is a space for movers to play, explore, make mistakes, share, and grow together. We blend street and club dance with contemporary styles, combining them with our imagination and experience to create something unique. Photo credit Sean Chee Sheep Meadow Dance TheaterRepresenting: Long Island City Performing: Ballet From Artistic Director Billy Blanken: "Through SMDT, I aim to make high-quality concert dance accessible to all New Yorkers. Ballet, often hindered by financial barriers and specific settings, becomes more accessible through programming like QDF. This festival allows me to share my artwork within my local community and represent it authentically in my home neighborhood." Photo credit Jay Krempa Neela Dance AcademyRepresenting: Jackson Heights Performing: Kathak Classical Indian dance "Kathak, with its emphasis on rhythm and time cycles, relies on natural body movements to convey its artistry. For this project, I have selected "Tarana," a sub-genera from the Indian classical music tradition set to a sixteen-beat time cycle. I aimed to juxtapose various movements against a serene, melodic backdrop. " Photo credit Zahidur Rashid Cole CollectiveRepresenting: Astoria Performing: Tap Dance Cole Collective is a tap dance company founded in 2014 by artistic director Nicole Ohr. The company's choreographic mission is to find connections between music, and movement, through both choreography and improvisation. Cole Collective also strives to bring tap dance to the Queens community through local performances, free community events and classes, and local jam sessions. Photo credit Robin Michals sarAika movement collectiveRepresenting: Ridgewood Performing: Contemporary sarAika movement collective is a contemporary dance collective, founded by immigrants and queer women Aika Takeshima and Sara Pizzi, advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the dance ecosystem. They spread awareness on topical aspects or personal insight by creating multidisciplinary collaborative performances, sarAika makes dance for and about people. Photo credit BECCAVISION San Simon Sucre New YorkRepresenting: Forest Hills Performing: Bolivian Caporales Caporales is a traditional dance that originated in Bolivia, in the city of La Paz. It is a cultural practice that combines indigenous, African, and European influences and is widely performed during festivals and celebrations. The dance is characterized by its vibrant costumes, fast-paced footwork, and the use of unique instruments such as the charango, quena, and bombo. Photo credit Omar Rodriguez Load More