Queensboro Dance Festival Comes to Rockaway

Story and Photos

By Theresa Racine

On Sunday, June 29, the Queensboro Dance Festival came to town. Six different dance companies told a story through dance at the Beach 94th Amphitheater.

Company Jatary Sunchy Danza Proyección Esencia performed “Raymi Punlla.” The dance represents a festival celebrated in gratitude to the sun and the earth for the food provided. Performers sang and danced to the rhythm of coplas and san juanes in a circular manner, stomping their feet to establish contact with them.

Ah-Molla Dance Collective performed “Sun Moon Lake.” This dance was inspired by Taiwanese folklore and the music was set to Japanese Taiko music. Sun-Moon Lake told the story of two farmers who led peaceful lives, until the sun and moon were stolen by dragons. The dance is the fight to reclaim balance to their world.

Cucala Dance Company performed “Inventamos. This dance is to the song “Inventamos” by Willie Villega, an upbeat party song. The performance was layered with rotating aspects of NY Style Salsa with intricate footwork and fast paced partnering sequences.

Saylit Dance Collective performed “Woman of the extraordinary.” This dance blended French roots, Bolivian folklore and street styles like hip hop, house and waacking, and focused on the message of embracing femininity.

Silvana Brizuela Weigel performed “Del Campo a La Ciudad,” meaning from the countryside to the city. Their dances incorporated Argentine Tango, rhythm folk dance and a dance that invoked the nature of waves.

The last set was “Caporales San Simon Sucre New York” by San Simon Sucre New York. These dances brought out traditional Bolivian dance for people to learn about Bolivia and Capolares. To do that, they brought guests up on stage to teach some of the steps.

Karesia Batan, the founding director of Queensboro Dance Festival, is a Queens based modern dancer, choreographer and producer since 2006. She established her dance production company, Physical Plant, in 2010, under which QDF began. Their lead sponsorship in 2025 is Northwell Health.

QDF will be back in Rockaway on Saturday, July 5 at 6 p.m., this time at Dredsurfer Grill on Beach 17th Street. All are welcome to bring a beach chair or blanket and join. For more information about future performances, see: queensborodancefestival.org