Alif finds his Moner Manush at New York’s Battery Dance Festival

In Shawkat Osman's classic short story Dui Musafir (Two travellers), the wandering mystic Lalon returns to Kushtia. On the evening of 16 August, however, it felt as though Lalon's spirit had returned to New York's Rockefeller Park.

The occasion was the closing night of the 44th Battery Dance Festival, and the medium of that return was not a planchette – it was the dance of Bangladeshi performer Mofassal Al Alif.

His performance was built around the haunting songs of Lalon Fakir. 

"The performance was titled 'In Search of You – Moner Manusher Khoje,'" Alif said. "It is a journey inward, towards the self that resides within, which is the essence of Lalon's philosophy."

The longing of Lalon's verses – for deliverance, for the eternal beloved within – echoed through Alif's movements, giving shape to music that has always lived in voice and word. If Osman's Lalon came back to Kushtia, Alif's dance brought Lalon to the heart of Manhattan.

Alif started his performance seated on the stage, a lone figure in a white kurta and dhuti, a pagri wrapped around his head, and a couple of garlands resting on his shoulders. An ektara (single stringed musical instrument) was in his hand. His body language mirrored the gestures of baul singers – swaying, arms outstretched, palms turning with the rhythm of surrender.

The song played on the speakers was 'Ami Opar Hoye Boshe Achi' in the deep voice of Baul Shafi Mondol. Soon it flowed into 'Milon Hobe Kotodine' sung by Anupam Roy and Satyaki Banerjee. Together they shaped a story of yearning, humility and hope.

The choice of songs carried the audience into that philosophy. 'Ami Opar Hoye Boshe Achi' speaks of helplessness before divine grace, of a soul stranded on life's shore calling out to be carried across.

On the other hand, 'Milon Hobe Kotodine' is a cry for union with the eternal beloved, a song that captures both desire and despair. In dance, Alif translated this longing into movement. His raised arms evoked the restless bird of Lalon's metaphors.

"Dance in Bangladesh is often influenced by Indian classical traditions," he said. "I wanted to step away from that and represent something entirely our own – the songs of Lalon in the style of our Baul and Fakir traditions."

Alif placed the mysticism of Bangladesh before an international audience, without embellishment or compromise. "It was a very special opportunity for me to be the first Bangladeshi dancer to perform at this renowned festival," Alif said.

"Artistes from many countries came together to share their cultures and identities. In the audience there were people from around the world, including many Bangladeshis. Some foreign admirers of Lalon were also present. I felt honoured to represent my country."

The Battery Dance Festival, now in its 44th year, has long been a place where cultures meet. Founded in 1982 as the Downtown Dance Festival, it has grown into New York City's longest-running free public dance festival.

Each summer, thousands gather in Rockefeller Park to watch performances that range across traditions and geographies. This year's line-up included artists from Spain, Germany, South Korea, Indonesia, and beyond.

Against that varied backdrop, Alif's performance stood out as a powerful invocation of a philosophy rooted in the soil of Bangladesh.

Alif himself captured the essence of this performance in short: "This journey is not just about finding a person – it is about discovering the soul within. Beyond the physical, beyond the visible – it is the eternal search for truth, love, and spiritual union."

On that evening, as the Hudson River caught the last light, Alif carried Lalon's spirit into the heart of New York. For Alif, it was a call to bridge worlds through a tradition often seen only within Bangladesh. Although his performance did not seek to entertain in the conventional sense, it sought to awaken the silence within.