By PRISCA SAM-DURU
Battery Dance Company, a New York based dynamic cultural institution with  global sensibility penultimate week held an exhilarating dance show at the New CBAAC Hall, National Theatre, Lagos.

The group which has travelled to over 36 countries, dazzled the entire audience in an event tagged Dancing to Connect which was their very first encounter with Nigeria.

The evening of dance marked the end of a week long workshop and demonstration classes by the visiting American Dance team, organised by the Public Affairs Section of the United States of America Embassy in collaboration with the Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria(SPAN), where participants drawn from different parts of Nigeria numbering 25, enjoyed the privilege of learning under the expertise of the American dancers so as to connect and dialogue for development.

The show kick-started with a scintillating dance drama, Kolanut dance, by the National Troupe of Nigeria(NTN). And as usual, the group thrilled the audience who were filled with high expectation, with very energetic display that earned them deafening applause.

Their mind-blowing dance which was preceded by introduction of the diverse names with which the Kolanut is known in different parts of the country, also highlighted several occasions such as traditional weddings, coronation and celebration of new births, during which Kolanut is offered to people. It was a rather interesting moment for everyone in the mega Hall when real Kolanuts were served to all by the exotic dancers while still dancing.

The duo of Sean and fragile looking but very energetic Robin Cantrell of Battery Dance Company in their Salsa performance, gave the audience more than they expected. They were simply amazing as through different styles, issues relating to relationships, love, marriage , culture which were initially portrayed by the NTN dancers were highlited.

Sean and Robin’s entertaining dance steps indeed portrayed the Company as a performing arts group simply gorgeous with technically perfect dancers and an organisation committed to social progress both in US and other parts of the world.

Interacting with Nigerian dancers and the creative show they put up, also proved that the visiting dancers were people who are artistically created to dance to connect, for enjoyment and for purpose of cultural integration.

A group of young dancers who also brought out different approach and new dimensions in dance, who were later identified as the 25 participants of the workshop pulled a surprise as it was later revealed that dancing to connect was their first outing on stage.

Speaking earlier, the project director of Battery Dance Company, Barry Steele who expressed his delight for working with the talented Nigerian dancers, pointed out that “Staying relevant for three and half decades has meant listening and responding to the needs of the local global communities it serves.

The importance of fostering an engaged audience for dance has been an urgent and consistent message and is a theme at the heart of each Battery Dance Company project”, adding that by bringing free classes, lectures, and performances to cities and towns worldwide, Battery Dance Company reaches across geographic and linguistic borders to relate the vocabulary of dance to the language of everyday life in a way that stimulates and sustains a global appreciation for contemporary dance.”