Erasing Borders Dance Festival 2022
Azadi logo iaac logo satyamev jayate

Indo-American Arts Council

presents

Festival of India@75 and Erasing Borders Dance Festival

Aug 6 - Aug 7, 7-9PM, In-Person
Ailey Citigroup Theater

BUY TICKETS

Aug 8 2022, Virtual
Watch LIVE on   
Facebook.com  |  YouTube.com 

Please RSVP to get event reminders by email.

Erasing Borders Dance Festival

Schedule

*Aug 6, 2022*, Saturday,
7-9PM, In-Person

Sanjib Bhattacharya and Jagannath Lairenjam - Sapta, Manipuri-Pung Cholom (drum dance)
Kavya Ganesh - Contemporary Bharatanatyam
Bhavana Reddy - Solo Kuchipudi

*Aug 7, 2022*, Sunday,
7-9PM, In-Person

Jin Won - Kathak Genre, with live music
Ailey II - Saa Magni
Mythili Prakash - Contemporary Bharatanatyam

*Aug 8, 2022*, Monday, Virtual

Tanya Saxena - Solo Bharatanatyam
Tanveer Alam - Solo Kathak
Subastian Tan/MDT - Duet Modern
Mythili Anoop - Solo
Deepali Salil - 5 dancers, Animals, Contemporary Bharatanatyam

sponsors
Erasing Borders Dance Festival

Curatorial Guidelines

We are only taking applications through video submissions this year.

You can submit solos, duets or larger groups.

Typically, artist/s performs for 7-12 min.

Your video is the most important part of your application. An impressive video can catch the eye of the curator and make your performance memorable. When submitting a video, make sure the video is well-lit and appropriately edited for maximum impact. Check out technical guidance. Below are some tips for editing your videos:

  1. The dancer should be clearly visible in the video.

  2. The video(s) you submit should be of the work that you propose to perform at the festival, and you should submit a plan outlining exactly what you plan to perform. In case the video exceeds the timing, please indicate time markers in your application for the segment/s you are proposing.

  3. You may submit up to 2 additional alternative videos with your application. Each video should follow ideally be less than 13 minutes.

  4. Dance works are often better appreciated when placed in context. We suggest that you include a commentary/explanation of process in the Details of the Proposed Work section of your application.

  5. Live explanations (i.e. spoken commentaries on your video) will be counted as part of the timing of the total presentation, so you may prefer to send in a written explanation as program notes.

  6. The video you submit should include the complete, continuous work you intend to perform, OR a work-in-progress with detailed explanation. It is imperative for the curators to see the entire work, because our decision making involves thinking through how all the selected works (by different artists) will collectively form a unique, cohesive experience for our audience. An excerpt put together with bits and pieces from different parts of a work or different works WILL NOT BE ACCEPTABLE for the application.

Best of luck ! We look forward to reviewing your applications.
August 5: Friday: In person in New York
August 6: Saturday: In person in New York
August 7: Sunday: Morning workshop,Evening digital performance
August 8: Digital Evening digital performance
Erasing Borders Dance Festival is widely regarded as the most reputed festival of Indian dance in North America. As an artist, performing in this festival gives you the opportunity to showcase your dance on a great platform – the festival receives significant media attention.
Yes. Artists are paid an honorarium for presenting their work at the festival. Since we are a non-profit, our means for providing financial support to artists are limited. The fee amount is comparable to other New York arts non-profits. Selected artists will receive $250 for production value. Please submit a sample budget plan up to $250 for the final production to account for videography, editing or other needs.
Yes, we present solos and well as groups (duets, trios, quartets, or larger!)
You need to submit a video of the work that you intend to perform at the festival. You should submit 2 videos. 1) Submit video/s of past choreography. 2) Submit your concept proposal as a written material (150 words) and submit a video (as work-in-progress). You do not need to submit a video shot using a professional camera - you can submit a video shot using your phone, so long as the quality of the video is good and your dance can be seen well.
March 10, 2022
Deadline extended to March 20, 2022
No. You need to upload your work to YouTube (unlisted) or Vimeo, and include a link to that uploaded video with your application form. You could choose to password protect it and provide the password in the application. We do not accept submissions in the form of DVDs any more.
The limits are specified in “characters” and not “words” (we understand this is less intuitive than a word limit might be, but unfortunately this is what Google Forms support out-of-the-box today...). Please ensure that the number of characters in your answer fits within the maximum number of characters allowed for that answer. Further, remember that whitespace is also considered a character. An easy way to check your character count is by pasting your answer into a Word document, and using the ‘Word Count’ feature of MS Word, which displays not just the number of words, but also the number of characters (including whitespaces).
Please email IAAC IT team, and they will be able to help you with the application fee. sunil@iaac.us
Selected artists should expect to hear back from us by May 31, 2022. If you have not heard by then, feel free to email sunil@iaac.us
2022 Erasing Borders of Dance Festival, Call for Submissions

(Due to requests from several dancers, we are extending the deadline till March 20.)
EBDance
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Indo-American Arts Council’s Erasing Borders Dance Festival will be presented in a hybrid format in 2022: specific artists will be selected for a live performance in New York on August 5th and 6th, 2022 and specific artists will be selected for digital performances on IAAC’s streaming platform Facebook and Youtube, also for August 7th and 8th, 2022.

For this year, we are looking for dance works that speak to the theme of time. Kala mein Kaal. Birju Maharaj-ji said time is the paper on which the patterns of the talas are drawn.

The temporal structures of dance are most particularly intertwined with those of music and literary forms. Together they give formal expression to processes that permeate Indian culture and which are taken for granted. What are these expressions of time, and in how many ways can we dance them?

Pondering on these thoughts and prompts, we urge you to think of your own works and assess what time means to you. Please submit a 100-150 word description of how the theme of time connects to your own creative works.

We seek:

  • Original works in multiple or new vocabularies and forms deriving from or relating to the traditions of Indian dance.
  • Works that are challenging or critically thinking on their own terms.
  • Given the hybrid format of the future we encourage shorter works. Professional works of up to 12 minutes duration (you can submit multiple works for us to consider).

Requirements:

  • Completed Application Form, which will include a place for you to send us a link to the performance piece you want to showcase at the festival.
  • Video: Applicants need to submit the entire video recording of the proposed works (not excerpts or sampling of past works). Since this is a virtual festival, we ask that you not apply with a work that is already published in video format with other platforms. This is a work that would be choreographed for camera, so we need to get a sense from your application as to how you would accomplish this.
  • We plan on leaving the work accessible online for one week after the last day of the festival, so make sure you secure rights from your gurus, musicians, and collaborators. Please also make sure you own the rights to publish the music and other elements that you are using. This permission can be sent to you by other producers through emails, social media messages etc. so it can be documented if the need arises. If you submit work that we select, we assume you have done the due diligence.
  • Only professional level performances will be considered for the festival. We plan on selecting between 4-6 artist/s this year for digital presentations and 4 performers for the live performances in New York depending on the pool of applications we receive. Typically, we receive about 80 applications each year that our curators go through very carefully. Due to limited time, we do not email all applicants back, and prioritize writing to applicants we seriously consider for the festival.
  • Selected artists will receive $250 for achieving a professional grade production value in addition to the performance fee. Please submit a sample budget plan up to $250 for the final production to account for videography and editing.
  • Non-refundable application fee of $15.
  • Application Due date: March 10, 2022
    Deadline extended to March 20, 2022

HOW TO SUBMIT:

We are only taking in digital applications this year.

  • First, review the Curatorial Guidelines we have compiled. These guidelines will help you submit a strong application which catches the eye and interest of our professional curators.
  • Selected artists are compensated with professional standard artistic fees for their work and time. Our fees are commensurate to other New York area professional companies.
  • Additionally, if selected for the digital presentation, we will provide funds towards video production costs for which technical guidance will be provided. If selected for the live festival, we will take care of all Theater needs in New York. We will not be able to process visas.
  • Next, complete your application form. Bear in mind that you will not be able to save your application and come back to it later. So, it is recommended that you first draft your answers in a separate document, and then enter them on this online form in one sitting.
  • Pay your $15 application fee through PayPal paypal(using any credit card) Click here >>
  • If you have any questions, check the Frequently Asked Question (FAQ). We keep updating this FAQ as new questions are received. If the FAQ does not address your questions, you can email us via this Inquiry form. Please note that we will only respond to questions that have not been addressed in the FAQ, so make sure to check the FAQ first!

Technical Suggestions

  • Artist would film themselves at home/studio/outdoors.
  • Make sure sound quality of the music is clear. It could be played on a different device close to the recording camera.
  • Shoot in well-lit conditions. Have lighting from the front and avoid lighting at back (unless it is part of your aesthetic)

Artists Bios

Indo-American Arts Council

presents

Festival of India@75 and Erasing Borders Dance Festival

Saturday Aug 6, 7-9PM, In-Person
Ailey Citigroup Theater

BUY TICKETS

Ticketed event, with special pricing for artists and students

Sanjib Bhattacharya and Jagannath Lairenjam

1. Sapta, Manipuri-Pung Cholom (drum dance)
Performed by Sanjib Bhattacharya and Jagannath Lairenjam

Sapta, meaning seven, is an attempt to paint the canvas of time, using 3 sets of 7 beats.
12 minutes of time is celebrated through three ornate sets of 7 matras (beats), each set depicting a significant tradition of Manipuri Classical Dance.

Sanjib Bhattacharya Manipuri

Sanjib Bhattacharya is a renowned dancer, choreographer and teacher who has won numerous awards across the world, including awards by former Presidents of India in 2006 and 2011. He trained professionally in both Manipuri Classical and Contemporary Indian Dance techniques under world-renowned dance icons Guru Bipin Singh, Padmasree Darshana Jhaveri, Kalavati Devi, Manjushree Chaki Sircar and Mamata Shankar. Currently based in the US, Sanjib Bhattacharya is the Artistic Director of Movements in Motion; where he continues to teach, perform and collaborate internationally on landmark productions.

Jagannath Lairenjam Manipuri

Jagannath Lairenjam started training from the age of eight in Pung (Manipuri drum) under Guru Mani Singh. Later, he trained and performed with various gurus in Manipur and Kolkata including Guru Bipin Singh. His key performances include the Ratha Yatra, Puri; India Lokranga Festival, Jaipur; Sana Leibak Festival, Mumbai; Khajuraho Festival, Uttar Pradesh and at various events in the US.

Kavya Ganesh

2. Time the Elusive Friend, contemporary Bharatanatyam
Choreographed and performed by Kavya Ganesh
Music courtesy- Smt. Rama Vaidyanathan
Music composition- GS Rajan
Mentored by Smt. Rama Vaidyanathan

External time is a linear dimension-ticking along in a constant, singular rhythm. What about the internality of time? In this work, time has been conceptualized as sakhi (friend).

Kavya Ganesh

Kavya Ganesh is a disciple of Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Smt. Rama Vaidyanathan. She has performed across India, USA and Europe in solo performances as well as group ensembles. Some of her notable performances include Konark festival, NCPA Mumbai’s Mudra Festival, Natyanjali Festival, Esplanade Singapore, SWEAT Festival Hong Kong, et al. She is currently selected for the ‘Conservatory for Actors’ summer drama program at Yale University.

Bhavana Reddy

3. Solo Kuchipudi by Bhavana Reddy

Narasimhavataram
This is a story of one of Vishnu’s avatars that of Narasimha. Hiranyakashyapu, a demon king worshipper of Shiva, sought a boon from Brahma, to be unvanquishable by any weapon, by any man or animal, inside or outside, by day or by night.

Nijagadha sa yadu Nandane (Jayadeva’s ashtapadi)

Jathiswaram is a tapestry of rhythm and melody which are given visual form with dance on the brass plate.

Bhavana Reddy

“A powerhouse performer, Bhavana Reddy is an acclaimed young Kuchipudi Indian Classical Dancer, comes from a legendary dance family and has performed on the international stage from the age of four.” – Korzo Theater, Netherlands.

She represents Kuchipudi dance the world over as a performer. “She dances like lightning” – The Hindu newspaper, India

As a solo performer, she has presented concerts for prestigious organisations, embassies and consulates of India (across the world including Germany, Singapore, Sydney, San Francisco); Temple of Fine Arts (Malaysia & Indonesia), National Museum (Copenhagen), Kennedy Center (Washington DC), NCPA (Mumbai, India), Spic Macay.

Bhavana is the recipient of the coveted Indian National Award, ‘Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar’ amongst other awards and a choreography grant from the legendary European choreographer Jiří Kylián’s Foundation.

Some collaborative highlights include - at the Walt Disney Concert Hall to Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra’s, ‘Rite of Spring’ with Kitty Mcnamee. In Korzo Netherlands, choreographing with ex Artistic Director Leo Sprekse. In Dublin City University, Ireland with Prof. Ronan Guilfoyle, Director School of Jazz.

Indo-American Arts Council

presents

Festival of India@75 and Erasing Borders Dance Festival

Sunday Aug 7, 7-9PM, In-Person
Ailey Citigroup Theater

BUY TICKETS

Ticketed event, with special pricing for artists and students

Jin Won

1. Andaaz - an immersive exploration of Rhythm and dance, by Jin Won, kathak, with tabla by Mike Lukshis and Electric Viola by Martha Mooke.
A sonic and visual endeavour alternating between two different Rhythm cycles, 5 and half beats / 16 beats, "Andaaz" explores the subtle movements through contemporary and traditional dance forms of Kathak to portray a beautiful visual canvas.

Jin Won

Jin Won: As an accomplished kathak dancer and percussionist, Jin Won is a one-of-a-kind artist in Indian performing arts who explores the visual possibilities of rhythm and sonic through dance and music. Of South Korean origin, she spent over 15 years in India training in Indian classical percussion and dance under Pandit Divyang Vakil and Shrimati Shubha Desai, respectively. As artistic director of Pradhanica Dance and Music Company, Jin has created, choreographed, and starred in various ensembles that have performed in esteemed venues across North America and taught master classes and workshops in many performing arts institutes.

Mike Lukshis (Tabla): Classical Tabla soloist and accompanist Mike Lukshis has established himself as a leading performer in the NYC area, in addition to extensive touring of North America and India. He has been studying exclusively with renowned Tabla composer and Guru, Pandit Divyang Vakil, in an intimate Gurukul style of training. He is also a fulltime teacher and manager of the Taalim School of Indian Music, serving diverse communities around NYC and NJ.

Martha Mooke (Electric Viola) acclaimed for her electrifying performances and compositions, is a pioneering composer, highly regarded for her artistry, music advocacy, and innovative educational programs. She has performed with Barbra Streisand, David Bowie, Philip Glass, Elton John, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Laurie Anderson, Andrea Bocelli, Star Wars in Concert, and Tony Bennett among others. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Scorchio Quartet (featured on David Bowie’s Heathen CD) which performs as a resident quartet in the Tibet House Benefit Concerts at Carnegie Hall produced by Philip Glass. Mooke received the prestigious ASCAP Concert Music Award for creating and producing ASCAP's new music showcase THRU THE WALLS featuring boundary defying composer/performers.

Ailey II

AileyII 2022 Logo

2. Ailey II,Saa Magni Ailey II will be joining Indian dancers to celebrate the 75 years of Indian independence. They will be performing Saa Magni in the spirit of hope, celebration and dance.

Saa Magni is choreographed by Yannick Lebrun and performed by Meagan King and Christopher Taylor to music by Oumou Sangaré from the album Ko Sira, published by World Circuit Records.

Yannick Lebrun (Cayenne, French Guiana) has performed works by choreographers Troy Powell, Debbie Allen, Scott Rink, Thaddeus Davis, Nilas Martins, Dwight Rhoden, and Francesca Harper. He was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2011, and, in 2013, France-Amérique magazine highlighted him as one of the 50 most talented French in the United States. In November 2016 Mr. Lebrun was a guest performer with The Royal Ballet in Wayne McGregor’s Chroma. Mr. Lebrun was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2008.

Meagan KingPhoto by Nir Arieli

Meagan King was the 2019 and 2020 BLOCH Ailey Young Artist. She is also an alumna of the 2018 Contemporary Program at Jacob’s Pillow. Ms. King has choreographed for the Color Me Beautiful production in Virginia and LaGuardia High School’s 2021 senior graduation dance concert. This is her second season with Ailey II. She graduated magna cum laude from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, receiving the Glorya Kaufman Scholarship.

Christopher TaylorPhoto by Nir Arieli

Christopher Taylor (Newark, NJ) is a graduate of Arts High School. He began his dance training at age 11 in The Ailey School Junior Division. Mr. Taylor has performed at the Apollo Theater, Lincoln Center, and in Ailey’s New York City Center galas. This is his second season with Ailey II.

Mythili Prakash

3. Poo | Poo (Contemporary bharatanatyam) Performed and choreographed by Mythili Prakash Polarity. Co-existence. Singularity.

Lingering between past and present, global and local, sacred and worldly, stylized and pedestrian, structure and fluidity, Poo | Poo (flower in Tamil |shit in America) negotiates the weight of past and tradition through the freedom of our bodies and voices today in the re-imagining of a traditional myth--the dance-off between Shiva and Kali.

Mythili Prakash

Mythili Prakash (Concept, Choreography, Dance) is one of the most celebrated and respected Bharatanatyam dancer/choreographers today. Her unique repertoire is an embodiment of narratives of the many worlds that shape her. Trained by her mother Viji Prakash and currently mentored by iconic dancers Malavika Sarukkai and Akram Khan, she has performed extensively and toured her own solo productions worldwide. Her collaborations span a breadth of artists including Sitar player Anoushka Shankar, India-based Director/ playwright Gowri Ramnarayan, and her brother/vocalist Aditya Prakash. She worked with director Ang Lee, as a choreography assistant and played the role of Pi’s wife in his award-winning film Life of Pi.

Nominated by celebrated dancer/choreographer Akram Khan as “choreographer of the future” for UK-based Dance Umbrella’s “Four by four commissions,” Mythili premiered her solo work “HERE and NOW” at their 2019 Festival. She is a principal dancer in Akram Khan Company’s currently touring “Outwitting the Devil". She is a recipient of the National Dance Project touring Grant previewed in November 2021 at the Reflektor Festival curated by Anoushka Shankar at the Elbphilharmonie, in Hamburg Germany. She is also a recipient of the Sky Art’s Artists Development program in collaboration with Akram Khan Company, in support of the development of her current new work Poo | Poo.

Aditya Prakash

Aditya

Aditya Prakash (vocal, sound design), a Los Angeles based award-winning vocalist known for his powerful and emotive voice, is one of the foremost virtuosos of Karnatik music. At only 16 years of age, he became one of the youngest musicians ever to tour and perform with sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, accompanying him to such prestigious stages as Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and Disney Concert Hall. Aditya has collaborated with innovative artists, including sitarist Anoushka Shankar; jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan; electronic experimental artist Karsh Kale, and the acclaimed dancer and choreographer Akram Khan. Aditya founded the eclectic music group, Aditya Prakash Ensemble, which creates a space for dialogue between Karnatik and jazz.

The Ensemble’s most recent album, “Diaspora Kid,” was featured in the top 15 albums on the Transglobal World Music Chart in May 2020. Aditya’s current focus in production and composition lies in pushing boundaries within the “classical” tradition.

Rajna Swaminathan

Rajna

Rajna Swaminathan (Percussion, Sound Design) is an acclaimed mrudangam (South Indian percussion) artist, composer, and scholar. Described as “a vital new voice” (Pop Matters), she has led the New York-based ensemble RAJAS since 2013, writing expansive, boundary breaking music for herself and like-minded improvisers, spanning multiple musical approaches. As a composer, Rajna has received commissions from the LA Phil, Chamber Music America New Jazz Works, and Bang On A Can Marathon, among others. She holds a PhD in Music (Creative Practice and Critical Inquiry) from Harvard University, and degrees in Anthropology and French from the University of Maryland, College Park.

She is currently an Assistant Professor of Music (Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology) at UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts.

Ganavya Doraiswamy

Ganavya

Ganavya Doraiswamy (vocal and sound design) is a transdisciplinary scholar, vocalist, word-craftswoman and double-bassist. Recent credits include: this body is so impermanent... (2021) directed by Peter Sellars, featuring Ganavya (solo voice, composition), Ch.7: The Goddess (2019) directed by Peter Sellars, Daughter of a Temple (2019), a sound installation composed for the 13th Bienale de Habana; singer and lead researcher with Esperanza Spalding on the Grammy- nominated album Songwrights Apothecary Lab (2021), contributing writer for Iphigenia by Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding, writer/singer of first Tamil lyrics to win a Latin Grammy award (2020), vocalist in Vijay Iyer’s Ritual Quartet, album and touring solo vocalist on the Quincy Jones’ produced Tocororo which hit #1 in jazz charts.

Her graduate degrees in music are from Berklee College of Music (contemporary performance) UCLA (ethnomusicology) and Harvard University (Creative Practice and Critical Inquiry). Recently, she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Cynthia Mitchell Center for the Arts.

Sushma Somasekharan

Sushma

Sushma Somasekharan (Vocal, sound design) is an award-winning Carnatic Vocalist based in Singapore and Chennai. She most recently received the coveted Young Artist Award in Singapore. Sushma has performed in several prestigious organisations including Madras Music Academy, Esplanade Theatres by the Bay Singapore, Indian Embassy Brussels. Sushma is also a lecturer at the National Institute of Education.


Mike Faba

Mike Faba (lighting design) is a Lighting Designer and Production Manager for dance, theater, and events. Recent design credits include The Return of the Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show Live!, and All I Want For Christmas is Attention (BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon) international tour, Beyond Ballet (Sara Mearns) at Jacob's Pillow, No. 1 (Wang Ramirez & Sara Mearns) at New York City Center, Spectral Preludes (Tom Gold Dance) at Florence Gould Hall, Wednesday Morning, 11:45 Pilobolus at Skirball, Marksman (Kate Weare) at The Joyce and the Guggenheim, and Unstruck (Kate Weare) at BAM Fisher. Event design work includes Life Is Beautiful Festival, as well as PatBO and MONSE for NYFW (Rob Ross Design).

Indo-American Arts Council

presents

Festival of India@75 and Erasing Borders Dance Festival

Aug 8 2022, Virtual
Watch LIVE on   
Facebook.com  |  YouTube.com 

Please RSVP to get event reminders by email.

Introduction by Subhalakshmi, Amjad Ali Khan

Tanya Saxena

1. Bindu
Choreographed and performed by Tanya Saxena (bharatanatyam)
Sound Design and Mixing: Ananda Gupta
Music: Rajat Prasanna
‘Bindu’ (the originary dot) is a movement film inspired by artist S.H. Raza, made in collaboration with the Raza Foundation.

Tanya Saxena

Tanya Saxena is a Bharatanatyam dancer based in Delhi, India. She has studied extensively under renowned Gurus Saroja Vaidyanathan, Rama Vaidyanathan, Kamalini Dutt and A. Lakshamanswamy; Tanya holds a Master's in Performing Arts, is an empanelled artist with the ICCR and an A-Graded artist of Doordarshan, India.

Tanveer Alam

2. Leher (Wave) choreographed and performed by Tanveer Alam (kathak)

Leher (Wave) emerged as a quiet response to this time and context of massive change that we have all experienced since the pandemic. The work, in vilambit taal (slow tempo) is patient, intimate, and looks at the effects of decelerating in time.

Music: Gurumurthy Vaidya
Dramaturgy: Harikishan S. Nair
Mixing and mastering: Roshin Shabu
Videography and editing: Aman Chandak
Supported by: Sadhana Project Residency (Anandam Dancetheatre), The Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council.

Tanveer Alam Photo by Devansh Jhaveri

Tanveer Alam (Toronto, Canada) trained in kathak with Sudeshna Maulik and with guru Sandhya Desai. Alam is a graduate in Western Contemporary dance from The School of Toronto Dance Theatre’s Professional Training Program (2019). Alam has performed in the works of Pt. Birju Maharaj, Lata Pada, Rina Singha, Janak Khendry, Padmini Chettur, Brandy Leary, Peter Chin, Harikishan S. Nair, and Sashar Zarif to name a few. Alam has presented at SummerWorks Festival, Battery Dance Festival +, CanAsian Dance Festival: Grit Short Dances, Tangente and others.

Subastian Tan/MDT

3. Terra
Choreographed by Liz Lea
Danced by Subastian Tan and Shahrin Johry.
Music by TaikOz

A contemporary dance with influences from movement techniques of Singapore and India.

Subastian Tan/MDT

Subastian Tan and Shahrin Johry are members of Maya Dance Theatre, Singapore. Founded in 2007, Maya Dance Theatre (MDT) is a non-profit professional dance theatre company that has carved out a niche for itself in the Singapore dance scene by creating works with social consciousness and sharing social stories.

Mythili Anoop

4. Bird of Time

Inspired by Sarojini Naidu’s poem, ‘The Bird of Time’ this work presents an assortment of life’s dramatic moments which ultimately ends in silence.

Mythili Anoop

Mythili Maratt Anoop is an ICCR empanelled Mohiniyattam artist, trained under Guru Kalamandalam Kshemavathy and Guru Sadanam Balakrishnan, among others. In addition to many awards, she holds a doctorate from IIT Bombay in the Semiotics of Mohiniyattam led to publications such as Mohiniyattam: A Language of Feminine Desire and Scripting Dance in Contemporary India.

Deepali Salil

5. Animals (excerpted from Looking Within Looking Around) The excerpt “ANIMALS” is choreographed and performed by bharatanatyam dancers from all over India. It is conceptualized by Deepali Salil. Choreographed and performed by Bharatanatyam dancers Nilava Sen as Gazelle; Shubhamani Chandrashekar as Orca; Athul Balu as Hyena; Deepali Salil as Sarus Crane. Original music composition – Sanchit Choudhary

In our excerpt film “Animals” we seek to renew the connection with our animal kingdom. The only way forward is together. Conserving and living sustainably needs to become a lifestyle.

Deepali Salil

Deepali Salil holds a Master’s degree (bharatanatyam) from the prestigious Nalanda Nrityakala Mahavidyalaya, Mumbai, under guidance of Padma Bhushan Kanak Rele She currently studies with Rama Vaidyanathan. She has performed with various prestigious festivals and was the trainer and choreographer for the feature film MEE RAQSAM produced by Shabana Azmi. She is also a UNESCO CID - PAIRS certified therapeutic movement facilitator, and counselor. Athul Balu graduated from Kalakshetra Foundation Chennai and is currently a member of Leela Samson’s Spanda Dance. He was awarded Sri Gutty Vasu Memorial Prize by the Madras Music Academy Company.

Nilava Sen based in Kolkata is working under the tutelage of Rama Vaidyanathan. He has been Performing continuously at various prestigious platforms all over India. He has won various accolades like Nalanda Nritya Nipuna 2020, Kishor Pratibha Award 2018, SSS Academy Award 2015 to name a few.

Athul Balu graduated from Kalakshetra Foundation Chennai and is currently a member of Leela Samson’s Spanda Dance. He was awarded Sri Gutty Vasu Memorial Prize by the Madras Music Academy Company.

Shubhamani Chandrashekar trained under her mother Sharadamani Shekar, the Kalakshetra Foundation and currently trains under Rama Vaidyanathan. She has performed in several countries like the USA, Cambodia and South Korea.

Press Contact:
Audrey Ross
929.222.3973
audreyrosspub@aol.com

THE INDO-AMERICAN ARTS COUNCIL

presents

"ERASING BORDERS" and "INDIA@75" DANCE FESTIVAL

August 6-8 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater

Program A: live, Saturday August 6, 7 pm
Program B: live, Sunday August 7, 7 pm
Program C: virtual, Monday August 8
August 6 & 7 at Ailey Citigroup Theater, 405 West 55 Street, NYC
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/festival-of-india75-605699
Reservations: Audrey Ross audreyrosspub@aol.com, (929) 222-3973

The Indo-American Arts Council announces the always eagerly anticipated dance performances, this year including special events to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India's Independence Day, August 15. The celebration will feature two live performances, August 6 & 7 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, and a virtual August 8th streaming with artists from India, Canada, Singapore and the U.S. Since its founding 15 years ago, the Indo-American Arts Council has distinguished itself with its presentations dedicated to embodied living practices of the arts of South Asia.

India@75
Program A: Saturday August 6, 7 pm
featuring
Sanjib Bhattacharya and Lagannath Lairenjam in
Manipuri-Pung Cholom (Drum Dance)
Kavya Ganesh in contemporary Bharatanatyam
Bhavana Reddy in Kuchipudi

India@75
Program B: Sunday August 7, 7 pm
featuring
Jin Won in Kathak with live music
Ailey II in "Saa Magni"
Mythili Prakash in contemporary Bharatanatyam

Erasing Borders Dance Festival-virtual
Program C: Monday August 8, premiers at 7 pm.
Streaming is available until August 22
featuring choreography by
Tanya Saxena
Tanveer Alam
Liz Lea and danced by Subastian Tan and Shahrin Johry
Mythili Maratt Anoop
Deepali Salil with Nilava Sen, Shubhamani Chandrashekar, Athul Balu

India@75
Saturday Aug 6, 2022 7-9PM

1. Sapta, Manipuri-Pung Cholom (drum dance)
Performed by Sanjib Bhattacharya and Jagannath Lairenjam

Sapta, meaning seven, is an attempt to paint the canvas of time, using 3 sets of 7 beats.
12 minutes of time is celebrated through three ornate sets of 7 matras (beats), each set depicting a significant tradition of Manipuri Classical Dance.

Sanjib Bhattacharya is a renowned dancer, choreographer and teacher who has won numerous awards across the world, including awards by former Presidents of India in 2006 and 2011. He trained professionally in both Manipuri Classical and Contemporary Indian Dance techniques under world-renowned dance icons Guru Bipin Singh, Padmasree Darshana Jhaveri, Kalavati Devi, Manjushree Chaki Sircar and Mamata Shankar. Currently based in the US, Sanjib Bhattacharya is the Artistic Director of Movements in Motion; where he continues to teach, perform and collaborate internationally on landmark productions.
Jagannath Lairenjam started training from the age of eight in Pung (Manipuri drum) under Guru Mani Singh. Later, he trained and performed with various gurus in Manipur and Kolkata including Guru Bipin Singh. His key performances include the Ratha Yatra, Puri; India Lokranga Festival, Jaipur; Sana Leibak Festival, Mumbai; Khajuraho Festival, Uttar Pradesh and at various events in the US.

2. Time the Elusive Friend, contemporary Bharatanatyam
Choreographed and performed by Kavya Ganesh
Music courtesy- Smt. Rama Vaidyanathan
Music composition- GS Rajan
Mentored by Smt. Rama Vaidyanathan

External time is a linear dimension-ticking along in a constant, singular rhythm. What about the internality of time? In this work, time has been conceptualized as sakhi (friend).

Kavya Ganesh is a disciple of Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Smt. Rama Vaidyanathan. She has performed across India, USA and Europe in solo performances as well as group ensembles. Some of her notable performances include Konark festival, NCPA Mumbai’s Mudra Festival, Natyanjali Festival, Esplanade Singapore, SWEAT Festival Hong Kong, et al. She is currently selected for the ‘Conservatory for Actors’ summer drama program at Yale University.

3. Solo Kuchipudi by Bhavana Reddy

Narasimhavataram
This is a story of one of Vishnu’s avatars that of Narasimha. Hiranyakashyapu, a demon king worshipper of Shiva, sought a boon from Brahma, to be unvanquishable by any weapon, by any man or animal, inside or outside, by day or by night.

Nijagadha sa yadu Nandane (Jayadeva’s ashtapadi)

Jathiswaram is a tapestry of rhythm and melody which are given visual form with dance on the brass plate.

Bhavana Reddy is an internationally acclaimed Kuchipudi dancer. Her career started at the tender age of 4 under her illustrious parents Drs. Raja and Radha Reddy with a Los Angeles Times review headline! As a solo performing artist, she has presented workshops and concerts for prestigious organizations, Embassies and Consulates of India across the world and for SpicMacay, Temple of Fine Arts Malaysia, National Museum Copenhagen, Kennedy Center Washington DC; Mudra Festival NCPA, Mumbai; Yagnaraman Festival Krishnagana Sabha, Chennai. She has just completed a tour in Europe where, as the ‘Artist-in-Residence’ she choreographed with Leo Spreksel for India Dans Festival, Korzo Netherlands; and with Prof. Ronan Guilfoyle, Director, School of Jazz Performance, Dublin City University, Ireland.

India@75
Sunday Aug 7, 2022

Ailey Citigroup Theater, 7-9PM

1. Andaaz - an immersive exploration of Rhythm and dance, by Jin Won, kathak, with tabla by Mike Lukshis and Electric Viola by Martha Mooke.
A sonic and visual endeavour alternating between two different Rhythm cycles, 5 and half beats / 16 beats, "Andaaz" explores the subtle movements through contemporary and traditional dance forms of Kathak to portray a beautiful visual canvas.

Jin Won: As an accomplished kathak dancer and percussionist, Jin Won is a one-of-a-kind artist in Indian performing arts who explores the visual possibilities of rhythm and sonic through dance and music. Of South Korean origin, she spent over 15 years in India training in Indian classical percussion and dance under Pandit Divyang Vakil and Shrimati Shubha Desai, respectively. As artistic director of Pradhanica Dance and Music Company, Jin has created, choreographed, and starred in various ensembles that have performed in esteemed venues across North America and taught master classes and workshops in many performing arts institutes.

Mike Lukshis (Tabla): Classical Tabla soloist and accompanist Mike Lukshis has established himself as a leading performer in the NYC area, in addition to extensive touring of North America and India. He has been studying exclusively with renowned Tabla composer and Guru, Pandit Divyang Vakil, in an intimate Gurukul style of training. He is also a fulltime teacher and manager of the Taalim School of Indian Music, serving diverse communities around NYC and NJ.

Martha Mooke (Electric Viola) acclaimed for her electrifying performances and compositions, is a pioneering composer, highly regarded for her artistry, music advocacy, and innovative educational programs. She has performed with Barbra Streisand, David Bowie, Philip Glass, Elton John, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Laurie Anderson, Andrea Bocelli, Star Wars in Concert, and Tony Bennett among others. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Scorchio Quartet (featured on David Bowie’s Heathen CD) which performs as a resident quartet in the Tibet House Benefit Concerts at Carnegie Hall produced by Philip Glass. Mooke received the prestigious ASCAP Concert Music Award for creating and producing ASCAP's new music showcase THRU THE WALLS featuring boundary defying composer/performers.

2. Alvin Ailey II, Saa Magni Alvin Ailey II will be joining Indian dancers to celebrate the 75 years of Indian independence. They will be performing Saa Magni in the spirit of hope, celebration and dance.

Saa Magni is choreographed by Yannick Lebrun and performed by Meagan King and Christopher Taylor to music by Oumou Sangaré from the album Ko Sira, published by World Circuit Records.

Yannick Lebrun (Cayenne, French Guiana) has performed works by choreographers Troy Powell, Debbie Allen, Scott Rink, Thaddeus Davis, Nilas Martins, Dwight Rhoden, and Francesca Harper. He was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2011, and, in 2013, France-Amérique magazine highlighted him as one of the 50 most talented French in the United States. In November 2016 Mr. Lebrun was a guest performer with The Royal Ballet in Wayne McGregor’s Chroma. Mr. Lebrun was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2008.

Meagan King was the 2019 and 2020 BLOCH Ailey Young Artist. She is also an alumna of the 2018 Contemporary Program at Jacob’s Pillow. Ms. King has choreographed for the Color Me Beautiful production in Virginia and LaGuardia High School’s 2021 senior graduation dance concert. This is her second season with Ailey II. She graduated magna cum laude from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, receiving the Glorya Kaufman Scholarship.

Christopher Taylor (Newark, NJ) is a graduate of Arts High School. He began his dance training at age 11 in The Ailey School Junior Division. Mr. Taylor has performed at the Apollo Theater, Lincoln Center, and in Ailey’s New York City Center galas. This is his second season with Ailey II.

3. Poo | Poo (Contemporary bharatanatyam) Performed and choreographed by Mythili Prakash
Polarity. Co-existence. Singularity.

Lingering between past and present, global and local, sacred and worldly, stylized and pedestrian, structure and fluidity, Poo | Poo (flower in Tamil |shit in America) negotiates the weight of past and tradition through the freedom of our bodies and voices today in the re-imagining of a traditional myth--the dance-off between Shiva and Kali.

Mythili Prakash (Concept, Choreography, Dance) is one of the most celebrated and respected Bharatanatyam dancer/choreographers today. Her unique repertoire is an embodiment of narratives of the many worlds that shape her. Trained by her mother Viji Prakash and currently mentored by iconic dancers Malavika Sarukkai and Akram Khan, she has performed extensively and toured her own solo productions worldwide. Her collaborations span a breadth of artists including Sitar player Anoushka Shankar, India-based Director/ playwright Gowri Ramnarayan, and her brother/vocalist Aditya Prakash. She worked with director Ang Lee, as a choreography assistant and played the role of Pi’s wife in his award-winning film Life of Pi. Nominated by celebrated dancer/choreographer Akram Khan as “choreographer of the future” for UK-based Dance Umbrella’s “Four by four commissions,” Mythili premiered her solo work “HERE and NOW” at their 2019 Festival. She is a principal dancer in Akram Khan Company’s currently touring “Outwitting the Devil.” She is a recipient of the National Dance Project touring Grant previewed in November 2021 at the Reflektor Festival curated by Anoushka Shankar at the Elbphilharmonie, in Hamburg Germany. She is also a recipient of the Sky Art’s Artists Development program in collaboration with Akram Khan Company, in support of the development of her current new work Poo | Poo.

Aditya Prakash (vocal, sound design), a Los Angeles based award-winning vocalist known for his powerful and emotive voice, is one of the foremost virtuosos of Karnatik music. At only 16 years of age, he became one of the youngest musicians ever to tour and perform with sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, accompanying him to such prestigious stages as Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and Disney Concert Hall. Aditya has collaborated with innovative artists, including sitarist Anoushka Shankar; jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan; electronic experimental artist Karsh Kale, and the acclaimed dancer and choreographer Akram Khan. Aditya founded the eclectic music group, Aditya Prakash Ensemble, which creates a space for dialogue between Karnatik and jazz. The Ensemble’s most recent album, “Diaspora Kid,” was featured in the top 15 albums on the Transglobal World Music Chart in May 2020. Aditya’s current focus in production and composition lies in pushing boundaries within the “classical” tradition.

Rajna Swaminathan (Percussion, Sound Design) is an acclaimed mrudangam (South Indian percussion) artist, composer, and scholar. Described as “a vital new voice” (Pop Matters), she has led the New York-based ensemble RAJAS since 2013, writing expansive, boundary breaking music for herself and like-minded improvisers, spanning multiple musical approaches. As a composer, Rajna has received commissions from the LA Phil, Chamber Music America New Jazz Works, and Bang On A Can Marathon, among others. She holds a PhD in Music (Creative Practice and Critical Inquiry) from Harvard University, and degrees in Anthropology and French from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Music (Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology) at UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts.

Ganavya Doraiswamy (vocal and sound design) is a transdisciplinary scholar, vocalist, word-craftswoman and double-bassist. Recent credits include: this body is so impermanent... (2021) directed by Peter Sellars, featuring Ganavya (solo voice, composition), Ch.7: The Goddess (2019) directed by Peter Sellars, Daughter of a Temple (2019), a sound installation composed for the 13th Bienale de Habana; singer and lead researcher with Esperanza Spalding on the Grammy- nominated album Songwrights Apothecary Lab (2021), contributing writer for Iphigenia by Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding, writer/singer of first Tamil lyrics to win a Latin Grammy award (2020), vocalist in Vijay Iyer’s Ritual Quartet, album and touring solo vocalist on the Quincy Jones’ produced Tocororo which hit #1 in jazz charts. Her graduate degrees in music are from Berklee College of Music (contemporary performance) UCLA (ethnomusicology) and Harvard University (Creative Practice and Critical Inquiry). Recently, she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Cynthia Mitchell Center for the Arts.

Sushma Somasekharan (Vocal, sound design) is an award-winning Carnatic Vocalist based in Singapore and Chennai. She most recently received the coveted Young Artist Award in Singapore. Sushma has performed in several prestigious organisations including Madras Music Academy, Esplanade Theatres by the Bay Singapore, Indian Embassy Brussels. Sushma is also a lecturer at the National Institute of Education.

Mike Faba (lighting design) is a Lighting Designer and Production Manager for dance, theater, and events. Recent design credits include The Return of the Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show Live!, and All I Want For Christmas is Attention (BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon) international tour, Beyond Ballet (Sara Mearns) at Jacob's Pillow, No. 1 (Wang Ramirez & Sara Mearns) at New York City Center, Spectral Preludes (Tom Gold Dance) at Florence Gould Hall, Wednesday Morning, 11:45 Pilobolus at Skirball, Marksman (Kate Weare) at The Joyce and the Guggenheim, and Unstruck (Kate Weare) at BAM Fisher. Event design work includes Life Is Beautiful Festival, as well as PatBO and MONSE for NYFW (Rob Ross Design).

India@75
Erasing Borders Dance Festival
Monday August 8, 2022, premiers at 7 pm.
Streaming is available until August 22 on Indo American Arts Council Facebook https://www.facebook.com/iaac.us and Youtube https://www.youtube.com/user/IAACEvent

Introduction by Subhalakshmi Amjad Ali Khan

1. Bindu
Choreographed and performed by Tanya Saxena (bharatanatyam)
Sound Design and Mixing: Ananda Gupta
Music: Rajat Prasanna
‘Bindu’ (the originary dot) is a movement film inspired by artist S.H. Raza, made in collaboration with the Raza Foundation.

Tanya Saxena is a Bharatanatyam dancer based in Delhi, India. She has studied extensively under renowned Gurus Saroja Vaidyanathan, Rama Vaidyanathan, Kamalini Dutt and A. Lakshamanswamy; Tanya holds a Master's in Performing Arts, is an empanelled artist with the ICCR and an A-Graded artist of Doordarshan, India.

2. Leher (Wave) choreographed and performed by Tanveer Alam (kathak)

Leher emerged as a quiet response to this time and context of massive change that we have all experienced since the pandemic. The work, in vilambit taal (slow tempo) is patient, intimate, and looks at the effects of decelerating in time.

Music: Gurumurthy Vaidya
Dramaturgy: Harikishan S. Nair
Mixing and mastering: Roshin Shabu
Videography and editing: Aman Chandak
Supported by: Sadhana Project Residency (Anandam Dancetheatre), The Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council.

Tanveer Alam (Toronto, Canada) trained in kathak with Sudeshna Maulik and with guru Sandhya Desai. Alam is a graduate in Western Contemporary dance from The School of Toronto Dance Theatre’s Professional Training Program (2019). Alam has performed in the works of Pt. Birju Maharaj, Lata Pada, Rina Singha, Janak Khendry, Padmini Chettur, Brandy Leary, Peter Chin, Harikishan S. Nair, and Sashar Zarif to name a few. Alam has presented at SummerWorks Festival, Battery Dance Festival +, CanAsian Dance Festival: Grit Short Dances, Tangente and others.

3. Terra
Choreographed by Liz Lea
Danced by Subastian Tan and Shahrin Johry.
Music by TaikOz

A contemporary dance with influences from movement techniques of Singapore and India.

Subastian Tan and Shahrin Johry are members of Maya Dance Theatre, Singapore. Founded in 2007, Maya Dance Theatre (MDT) is a non-profit professional dance theatre company that has carved out a niche for itself in the Singapore dance scene by creating works with social consciousness and sharing social stories.

4. Bird of Time

Inspired by Sarojini Naidu’s poem, ‘The Bird of Time’ this work presents an assortment of life’s dramatic moments which ultimately ends in silence.

Mythili Maratt Anoop is an ICCR empanelled Mohiniyattam artist, trained under Guru Kalamandalam Kshemavathy and Guru Sadanam Balakrishnan, among others. In addition to many awards, she holds a doctorate from IIT Bombay in the Semiotics of Mohiniyattam led to publications such as Mohiniyattam: A Language of Feminine Desire and Scripting Dance in Contemporary India.

5. Animals (excerpted from Looking Within Looking Around) The excerpt “ANIMALS” is choreographed and performed by bharatanatyam dancers from all over India. It is conceptualized by Deepali Salil. Choreographed and performed by Bharatanatyam dancers Nilava Sen as Gazelle; Shubhamani Chandrashekar as Orca; Athul Balu as Hyena; Deepali Salil as Sarus Crane.
Original music composition – Sanchit Choudhary

In our excerpt film “Animals” we seek to renew the connection with our animal kingdom. The only way forward is together. Conserving and living sustainably needs to become a lifestyle.

Deepali Salil holds a Master’s degree (bharatanatyam) from the prestigious Nalanda Nrityakala Mahavidyalaya, Mumbai, under guidance of Padma Bhushan Kanak Rele She currently studies with Rama Vaidyanathan. She has performed with various prestigious festivals and was the trainer and choreographer for the feature film MEE RAQSAM produced by Shabana Azmi. She is also a UNESCO CID - PAIRS certified therapeutic movement facilitator, and counselor.
Athul Balu graduated from Kalakshetra Foundation Chennai and is currently a member of Leela Samson’s Spanda Dance. He was awarded Sri Gutty Vasu Memorial Prize by the Madras Music Academy Company.
Nilava Sen based in Kolkata is working under the tutelage of Rama Vaidyanathan. He has been Performing continuously at various prestigious platforms all over India. He has won various accolades like Nalanda Nritya Nipuna 2020, Kishor Pratibha Award 2018, SSS Academy Award 2015 to name a few.
Athul Balu graduated from Kalakshetra Foundation Chennai and is currently a member of Leela Samson’s Spanda Dance. He was awarded Sri Gutty Vasu Memorial Prize by the Madras Music Academy Company.
Shubhamani Chandrashekar trained under her mother Sharadamani Shekar, the Kalakshetra Foundation and currently trains under Rama Vaidyanathan. She has performed in several countries like the USA, Cambodia and South Korea.

All events hosted by the Indo American Arts Council (IAAC).
www.IAAC.us

Photos

Aug 6, 2022 Festival of Indian Dance

Sanjib Bhattacharya and Jagannath Lairenjam - Sapta, Manipuri-Pung Cholom (drum dance)


Kavya Ganesh - Contemporary Bharatanatyam


Bhavana Reddy - Solo Kuchipudi


Festival of Indian Dance, Aug 6


Aug 7, 2022 Festival of Indian Dance

Jin Won - Kathak Genre, with live music


Ailey II - Saa Magni


Mythili Prakash - Contemporary Bharatanatyam


Festival of Indian Dance, Aug 7

Committee and Curators

Deepsikha Chatterjee: Dance Director

Deepsikha Chatterjee

Deepsikha Chatterjee is a tenured faculty of Theatre at Hunter College CUNY where she enjoys teaching a diverse student body. She received her undergraduate degrees from University of Madras and National Institute of Fashion Technology before moving to the US for her MFA in Costume Design from Florida State University.Currently she is pursuing her PhD in Theatre and Performance from CUNY Graduate Center.Her costume design for Butoh Medea and Hide Your Fires received the Best Costume Design award at United Solo in 2014 and 2017 respectively. Her designs have been seen recently at Barnard College, Mabou Mines, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, Women’s Project, New York Musical Festival, Drive East, United Solo, Pan Asia Repertory, and Capital Fringe.

She researches costumes and masks for Indian performance and has received notable grants for this work. Her presentations have been seen at conferences including USITT, Costume Society of America, and the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City. She has published articles on Indian and Asian theatre, and Indian fashion. Since 2017 she has served as the dance director for Indo-American Arts Council’s Erasing Borders Dance Festival bringing international dancers to the New York stage.

Uttara Asha Coorlawala: Curator

Uttara Asha Coorlawala

Uttara Asha Coorlawala currently teaches in the dance program at Barnard College/Columbia University and serves as Curator for Erasing Borders--the annual Festival Of Indian Dance. Had previously also taught at Alvin-Ailey- Fordham University Dance Program, Long Island University's C.W. Post Campus, and at Princeton University, NJ. Earlier as a dancer, her solo show, (1973-87) brought modern dance, BharataNatyam and yoga, to stages of India, Europe, East Europe, Japan and the United States. For her pioneering choreography she was recently awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi national award. (India) Uttara also served on various global dance research (CORD) and educational (IB) Committees, and as Performing Arts advisor to the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and at the National Center of Performing Arts, Mumbai.

Awards for writing include AHRB Fellowship for South Asian Dance Research, London, The Graduate Research Award from CORD, USA, the Homi Bhabha Fellowship, India, a Ford Foundation research project (USA) on changing demographies of cultures in the U.S. and an award to study choreography from the Asian Cultural Council.

Currently, she is even more invested in the ongoing global re-flows of body knowledges.

Parul Shah: co-curator

Parul Shah

Artistic director, Parul Shah of the Parul Shah Dance Company is an internationally acclaimed Kathak and contemporary dancer and choreographer whose work is expanding the classical medium beyond cultural boundaries. With a dedication to excellence, Shah preserves the form’s aesthetic integrity while exploring contemporary stories and questions around belonging, identity, and empathy. Her work aims to create shared experiences and lasting connections between performers and audiences.

Sruthi Mohan: co-curator

Sruthi Mohan

Sruthi Mohan is the Founder and Creative Director of Tat Tvam Asi, a boutique art organization in Austin, Texas, created specifically to curate and present works of internationally acclaimed Indian classical dancers touring the US.

An active and passionate community organizer, with more than a decade of organizational experience, she currently serves as the Cultural Committee Chair of the Austin Hindu Temple and has been instrumental in creating various cultural outreach initiatives that aim to showcase the spiritual beauty of Indian classical dance and other temple arts.

An accomplished and well trained classical dancer who started training at the age of three, she continues to perform to a diverse international audience. She also shares her passion for dance by writing about dance, appearing on radio and TV talk shows to promote and educate a wide and diverse audience about Indian Classical Dance.

Apart from being a dancer and a dance presenter she is also a Co curator for the Erasing Borders Dance Festival, New York.

Dipashreya Sur - Erasing Borders 2020 Festival Intern

Parul Shah

Dipashreya Sur is a rising sophomore at Barnard College of Columbia University majoring in Mathematical Sciences and History and Theory of Architecture. She has been learning Kathak, an Indian Classical Dance form, in the Lucknow Gharana for more than 14 years. On campus she dances with Columbia Taal, an Indian Classical Fusion Dance team. Though Dance originally started off as an extracurricular activity introduced by her parents, overtime it became her passion. Over the years she has also explored dance styles ranging from Contemporary to Afro Cuban. She is honored to be a part of this year’s Erasing Borders Festival.

Press Coverage

Festival of India@75 and Erasing Borders Dance Festival
Ailey Citigroup Theater

Saturday Aug 6, 7-9PM, In-Person

Sapta, Manipuri-Pung Cholom (drum dance) Performed by Sanjib Bhattacharya and Jagannath Lairenjam



Time the Elusive Friend, contemporary Bharatanatyam Choreographed and performed by Kavya Ganesh



Solo Kuchipudi, by Bhavana Reddy



Saturday Aug 7, 7-9PM, In-Person

Andaaz- an immersive exploration of Rhythm and dance, by Jin Won



Saa Magni - Ailey II will be joining Indian dancers to celebrate the 75 years of Indian independence



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