BY BENJAMIN MANDILE
The Queens Dance Festival, a collection of dances from around the world, is coming to the tiny screen starting on May 16.
Twenty-four troupes are expected to participate in the virtual event which will include live presentations, classes and question and answer sessions with the choreographers.
A variety of dance types including Arabic bellydance, ballet, Bangladeshi, hip-hop and more will be included in the Instagram series, which is expected to run until Oct. 4 on the festival’s account @queensborodancefestival.
The troupes live in the borough and the performances reflect their realities in the borough.
“A feeling of connection and creativity is especially important during this time,” said Karesia Batan, who founded QDF in 2014. “It was important to us that we find a way to still serve our community, by staying engaged with our Queens dancers and audiences.”
QDF was expected to start with an outdoor show at Lou Lodati Park in Sunnyside during mid-May with more performances around the borough, but with pandemic guidelines in place the in-person shows are now canceled.
Times of the live showings online vary and more information can be found on the festival’s Instagram page.
May 18: Karla Florez School of Dance (Middle Village)
May 22: Cole Collective (Astoria)
May 29: NK&D/a movement company (Astoria)
June 1: Gotham Dance Theater (Sunnyside)
June 5: Anup Das Dance Academy (Astoria)
June 8: Noora Dance Theater (Astoria)
June 12: Drye/Marinaro Dance Company (Forest Hills)
June 15: Amy Marshall Dance Company (East Elmhurst)
June 19: FANIKE! African Dance Troupe (Springfield Gardens)
June 22: Urvashie Kissoon (Forest Hills)
June 26: RU Dance NY Ballroom Dance School (Flushing)
June 29: Elisabetta Minutoli (Sunnyside)
July 3: Manhatitlan (Long Island City)
July 10: Sheep Meadow Dance Theatre (Long Island City)
July 13: Exquisite Chill (Jamaica)
July 17: Vivarta Arts-Preya Patel (Kew Gardens)
July 20: Barbara Mahler Dances (Jackson Heights)
July 24: Flamenco Latino (Jackson Heights)
July 27: Greek American Folklore Society (Astoria)
July 31: chrisbelldances (Long Island City)
Aug. 3: Mala’s Odissi (Forest Hills)
Aug. 7 at 8 pm: The Kingdom Dance Company (Rosedale)
Aug. 10: Na Pua Mai Ka Lani Nuioka (Forest Hills)
Aug. 14: Mae Mae Dance Studio (Flushing).
Bonus productions with Queens Library at 2 p.m.
June 4: Indian Kathak Dance
June 11: Mexican Folklore
June 18: Arabic Bellydance
