Shakti Takes Centre Stage: NYC’s Longest-Running Dance Festival to Honour Indian Independence Day

NEW YORK – The 44th Annual Battery Dance Festival, New York City’s longest-running free public dance festival, is set to celebrate Indian Independence Day with a spectacular showcase of cultural performances honouring 'Shakti' — the divine feminine energy.

On 15 August, the festival will host a specially curated India Day under the theme Shakti – Divine Energy, bringing together globally renowned artists and dance troupes. With over 22,000 attendees annually, the festival continues to be a major cultural highlight in NYC’s summer calendar, and this year’s edition runs from 12 to 16 August.

Jonathan Hollander, founder and artistic director of Battery Dance, explained that this year marks a thematic shift: “The last two years, we focused on Purush, the male principle. Now, we are turning our attention to Shakti — the essence of feminine energy, creativity, and strength.”

The India Day programme will feature seven dance groups, presenting traditional and contemporary interpretations of femininity and divine power. Highlights include the Nandanik Dance Troupe from Pittsburgh and Kolkata-based choreographer Subhajit Khush Das, showcasing a compelling piece on Goddess Kali. Other featured artists include Bijayini Satpathy, Maya Kulkarni-Lada Pada, Sonali Skandan, Swathi Gundapuneedi-Atluri, Renjith Babu, and Malini Srinivasan, performing in classical Indian styles like Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, and the Uday Shankar style.

Supported by the Consulate General of India in New York and the State Bank of India, this event underscores the vibrant presence and creative power of the Indian diaspora in North America.

 “At a time of global conflict and division, this celebration of the feminine divine feels especially relevant,” Hollander said. “We all relate to the nurturing and powerful presence of women in our lives — and that’s what we honour here.”

With both in-person and virtual audiences, the Battery Dance Festival remains a vital platform for cultural exchange, renewal, and unity through movement.