SHOW
PROGRAM
SHOW PROGRAM
Check back here on the day of performances for the show program!
Our events are free to the public.
Donate $10 and get a champagne toast!
Long Island City Land Acknowledgement: We acknowledge that our show today is on the native land of Munsee Lenape and Canarsie people, who continue to live and work on this land to this day.
SHOW PROGRAM
Sunday September 3rd, 2023
Performances in Long Island City
*Denotes Queens Premieres
Summer Suite 5.0: World-bound 7 Train*
Gotham Dance Theater’s “Summer Suite 5.0: World-bound 7 Train” is an upbeat, joy-filled street jazz, contemporary, and hip-hop dance medley to music in multiple languages reflective of our company dancers. This set will take you on a dance journey along the 7 train through the world’s most diverse borough: Queens.
Company: Gotham Dance Theater
Choreography by Marc Nuñez, Shreya Rawat, Stephanie Shin, David G. Lee, Emily Hart Lopez, Nadia Khayrallah
Dancers: Marc Nuñez, Davonna Batt, Shreya Rawat, Sarina Gonzalez, Celinna Haber, David G. Lee, Dahyun Kim, Annika Wong, Amanda Lowe, Sara Lavalley
Music: Janet Jackson, Sheila Ki Jiwana, Yaeji, Jackson Wang, Carlos Vives, Black Eyed Peas, Myriam Fares
Gotham Dance Theater (Woodside)
Marc Nuñez is Filipinx-American founder/director of Gotham Dance Theater (GDT). GDT Grants/Awards: NYFA Queens Arts Fund (2023), Queens Council on the Arts Grantee (2021-22), Queensboro Dance Festival (2015-2022), City Artist Corps Grantee (2021), Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (2022 Official Selection), Boundless in Brooklyn 48-Hour Film Contest Winner (2017).
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Yosakoi Showcase
“Yosakoi Dance Project – 10tecomai” will be performing Yosakoi Dance which is the fusion of Japanese traditional movement and dance with other genres of music and dance all over the world. We hope you feel our energy as we perform for you all today.
Company: Yosakoi Dance Project – 10tecomai
Choreography by Tomas Trinidad
Dancers: Tomas Trinidad, Tomoko Trinidad, Junna Trinidad, Asa Trinidad, Deborah Walker, Lena Ries, Mariko Hayashi, Yoshiko Furuse, Judy Liu, Alex Ries
Music: artists unknown
Yosakoi Dance Project – 10tecomai (Bayside)
Since 2005, Yosakoi Dance Project – 10tecomais goal has been to spread knowledge of Japanese Yosakoi dance across the United States through our powerful and energetic performances. We hope to inspire others to create their own Yosakoi teams and continue the growth of Yosakoi dance everywhere.
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#boombat
#boombat is a tap piece that evolved out of one main groove, with the choreography revolving around that groove, changing rhythmically, and dynamically. The piece involves both choreography and improvisation displaying playful interactions between the dancers.
Company: Cole Collective
Choreographed and Performed by Nicole Ohr
Cole Collective (Astoria)
Nicole Ohr is a professional tap dancer based in Astoria, Queens. She was tap dance captain of Undertoe Dance Project and was a member of Germaine Salsberg’s Les Femmes. Currently, Nicole is artistic director of Cole Collective, a tap dance company founded in 2014, and the producer of Dance Astoria.
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The Concave of My Words*
“The Concave of My Words” is a physical discussion on one’s physical body and its context. How do experience, trauma, cultural and social backgrounds find ways to appear in the physical body? How would bodies with different context interact/co-exist/confront each other?
P.S. This work is supported by the poem 关系，by 余秀华
Choreography by Theo Yang Qu and Nicholas Charles Daley
Dancers: Theo Qu Yang, Nicholas Charles Daley
Music: The lost See, By Taylor Deupree; Ubi, By Ryuichi Sakamoto;在無垠世界的海邊相聚, By Cicada
Theo Yang Qu (Elmhurst)
Born and raised in Hunan Province, China, Theo (Qu Yang) began his dance training in New York State. His choreographic approach, grounded by literary and bodily sensitivity, is a mixture of the influences that have defined his experience in both China and the United States.
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The Adventures of the Naughty Bee*
An unusual subject for Indian dance, featuring an unlikely creature doing unlikely things. The Naughty Bee is mischievous, playful, funny and most of all relentlessly curious. She makes a global journey discovering new places, people, movements well beyond her horizon. Join us for this fantastic adventure.
Company: Jiva Dance
Choreography by Maya Kulkarni and Sonali Skandan
Dancer: Sonali Skandan
Sound Design by Sonali Skandan
Jiva Dance (Long Island City)
Sonali Skandan’s work has been described as a “compelling” and a “riveting” visual of the “sculptural and rhythmic aspects of Indian dance.” She has toured internationally as a soloist and with her ensemble, Jiva Dance, an award-winning company that creates work that shifts between a classical and modern space.
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You don’t have to love me, just accept me*
We are totally different, and this is our power and best quality, acceptance for diversity and exploring the unknown is what makes progress and beauty.
Company: sarAika movement collective
Choreographed by Sara Pizzi & Aika Takeshima
Dancers: Sara Pizzi, Aika Takeshima
Music: For Roses – MANOID
sarAika movement collective (Ridgewood)
Founded in 2021 by Aika Takeshima & Sara Pizzi – they unified their skills and knowledge as dancers, choreographers, activists, immigrants, and part of the LGBTQIA+ community, to create art about and for humans pursuing this value of authenticity to bond their community advocating for a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment.
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Un Poquito de Nayarit*
The name of this song is El Buey, translates to ‘the bull’ which is part of a series of dances from the Mexican state of Nayarit.
Company: Manhatitlan
Choreography by Karla Pérez
Dancers: Melanie Peña, Monse Velasquez, Jazmin Pérez, Karla Pérez
Music: El Buey
Manhatitlan (Long Island City)
Manhatitlan has been serving its local community for over a decade as a grassroots effort. Seeing a need for dance representation during traditional Mexican celebrations, a group of children, youth and parents with no formal dance experience, came together to begin a self learning process of dancing Mexican Folklore.
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Duet from “Dawned”
“Dawned” is a contemporary dance work that focuses on inevitable change and enlightenment. This duet falls towards the end of the larger work.
Company: Robert Mark Dance
Choreography by Robert Mark Burke
Dancers: Sarah Housepian and Jared McAboy
Music: Original Music by Eric Dietz
Robert Mark Dance (Astoria)
Robert Mark Burke is an Astoria-based choreographer, dancer, and educator that has been seen on stages across the world. He has danced for Lucinda Childs Dance, 10 Hairy Legs, Megan Williams Dance Projects, and Matthew Westerby Dance Company. His work has been seen throughout Boston, NYC, and NJ.
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Will You Marry Me*
Chieh & Yoyo create dialogue through dance movements and the violin. Chieh creates choreography through Yoyo’s violin movements while Yoyo dances and plays violin simultaneously. The new piece “Will You Marry Me” will be continuing the love story from the past two years.
Company: Chieh & Yoyo
Choreography by Chieh Hsiung
Dancers: Yu-Wei Hsiao, Yu Fujiwara
Music: Tuberose by David Tao, ㄅㄆMoFo by Miss Ko, 甩一甩 by Miss Ko (JC Classic Mix)
Chieh & Yoyo (Elmhurst)
Chieh Hsiung,winner of the Breaking Glass Project: The Emerging Choreographer“Under the Dining Table”at Alvin Ailey Theater;Concert TV series Movement instructor in Taiwan.Chieh’s work demonstrates a variety of robust skills and training,though her priority is collaborating with visual artists and musicians from all backgrounds to create more compelling and immersive experiences.
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Freedom to Freedom*
Freedom to Freedom is sparked by Juneteenth. June 19, 1865 is when the last 250,000 enslaved Blacks in Texas were told they were free. As we reflect upon effects of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, Jim Crow laws/Segregation we visualize what we need to get free from in the Twentieth Century.
Company: The Kingdom Dance Company
Choreography by Paige Stewart
Dancers: Madison Brown, Amarfis Collado, Zarina Medwinter, Lauren Vaicels, Paige “Queen TuT” Stewart, Sherece Thomas, Francesca Tavano
Music: Cee Lo Green, Burna Boy, Yaba Buluku, Ta’Rhonda Jones, Pharrell Williams; Poetry by Queen TuT. Remixed by DJ Bams
The Kingdom Dance Company (Rosedale)
The Kingdom Dance Company, created by Queen TuT whose credits include BET/MTV, Ariana Grande, DMC etc. She’s taught dance to all ages, emotionally challenged/autistic children and mentally disabled adults while battling the chronic illness of Lupus. She’s taught dance standing, sitting, on crutches and wheelchair proving anything is possible!
Hip-Hop special guest performance by Queens-Based Missing Element, featuring beatboxers Amit, Kenny Urban, Anthony (Invertebrate), and Klassic (Flex)
Performances followed by a Danceback with The Kingdom Dance Company—
join us for a mini dance lesson!
Thank you for coming!
Join our 10×10 in celebration of our 10th Anniversary Season!
Our goal is 100 people, $10 at a time: bit.ly/supportqueensdance
The Queensboro Dance Festival (QDF) was launched in 2014 with the mission to strengthen the dance community in Queens, and inspire a greater appreciation for Queens dance. Presenting Queens-based dance companies of diverse cultures and styles, QDF tours free performances, parties, and classes every summer throughout Queens public spaces. QDF provides free career resources for Queens dancers, and brings local dance programming into Queens neighborhoods.
QDF 2023 Crew
Founding Executive Director: Karesia Batan
Stage Managers: Leah Dustin, Natalie Morrow, Stephanie Rhodes
Sound Engineer: Ruben Jessurum
Videographers: Michela Monte, Alex Ortiz
Photographer: John Casem, Robin Michals
Content Manager: Kristina Mahaney
Load-in: Blake D’Arienzo, Giuseppe De Caro, David Velazquez, Finn Weeks
Public Liaison: Deborah Wible
Marketing: Nadia Conway