Erasing Borders Dance Festival
For Immediate Release
Sep 19 2019, New York City
Erasing Borders Dance Festival Enthralls New York Audience
Thursday, Sep 19
(New York City, NY) - The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC)'s 11th Erasing Borders Dance Festival was held over three days this past weekend. The festival consisted of two shows in Queens and Manhattan boroughs of New York City and four workshops. The artists came from a variety of dance backgrounds from classical to contemporary.
From Left to Right : Isha Parupudi and Sophia Salingaros Of IndianRaga
On September 15th, the main show was held at the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theatre in New York City with inaugural addresses by Sunil Hali, IAAC Executive Director, Dr.Nirmal Mattoo, IAAC Chair, Festival Director Deepsikha Chatterjee and Curator Uttara Coorlawala. The opening performance by Radhe Jaggi, a graduate of Kalakshetra Foundation, disciple of Leela Samson and also daughter of Sadhguru, enthralled the audience with a Bharatnatyam piece Sankara Srigiri choreographed by Leela Samson. This was followed by IndianRaga trio of Isha Parupudi, Swathi Jaisankar and Sophia Salingaros who performed a medley of their works - Shiva Shambho, Mohanakalyani Thillana, Depression and Kaa Vaa Vaa. Brinda Guha brought in her group Kalamandir Dance Company to perform urbanJATRA, a contemporary piece drawing from Kathak & other Indian Classical movements. In Parijat Desai's Pardon My Heart, which was the final performance, the choreography weaved together dance with recitation of contemporary verse and with Hindustani khayal and tarana music.
Post performance, the talk back was moderated by Parul Shah, dancer, choreographer and one of the curators at the festival. On the agenda were gender issues and contemporary interpretations as compared to classical dance forms.
The prior evening, on September 14th, the first of the two shows opened to welcoming crowds at the Community center in Flushing. This was the first time the event had extended to Queens bringing the festival to a wider audience. The post show talk back, moderated by Uttara Coorlawala, IAAC dance curator, revealed an interesting gap in audience expectation and performers' ambitions. Upon learning how the audience had difficulty understanding the contemporary vocabulary of dance, artist Brinda Guha who was one of the performers that evening, demonstrated how she combined different forms, from folk to Kathak and Manipuri to Western African drums in her work. This garnered appreciative applause from the audience.
With the intention of giving back to the dance community, this year IAAC also held four workshops, two at Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theatre on September 15 from 1:30PM to 4:30PM and two at Barnard College, New York City from 1:10PM to 5:25PM. The first session "Growing your company, Fundraising and Grants" had panelists Aparna Ramaswamy of Ragamala Dance Company and Nolini Barretto who most recently was Co-Curator of Dance on Camera Festival at Lincoln Center. IAAC dance curator Sruthi Mohan moderated the conversation. A very informative session, it had participants who came from various parts of the country such as Arizona, Texas and Colorado, to attend, learn and network with the dance community. This was followed by a workshop in Body Scripting: An approach to Choreography presented by Tamar Rogoff who had one advise to the aspiring and emerging dancers "Be original and let your spirit come through in your work."
On Monday September 16, IAAC Curator Uttara Coorlawala moderated a session on "Dancing Identity/Dancing Indianness" with artists Brinda Guha, Parijat Desai, Isha Parupudi and Radhe Jaggi in attendance. Students of dance at the Barnard College of Columbia University participated in the very engaging dialogue and were very receptive during the question and answer session. The second session was a dance workshop led by Radhe Jaggi in Bharatnatyam.
Sunil Hali, IAAC Executive Director, noted there was positive feedback about the festival. "The way the community responded to this event leading to a sold out show is very heartening" he said. "We want to grow strength to strength by showcasing the best and finest Indian dance performances to the New York community." he added.
ABOUT INDO-AMERICAN ARTS COUNCIL:
The IAAC supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. We work cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding. Our focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work here. The IAAC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. For information please visit www.iaac.us.
Indo-American Arts Council Inc. 303 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1007, New York, NY 10016. Phone: 212 594 3685, Fax: 212 594 8476 Email: admin@IAAC.us Web: www.IAAC.us
Contact:
Suman Gollamudi
Media, Sponsorships & Public Relations
Indo-American Arts Council
suman.gn@iaac.us
[END]
The Indian EXPRESS
Indo-American Arts Council Announces 2019 Erasing Borders Dance Festival
August 30, 2019
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
IAAC's 2019 EB Dance FestivalFestival
September 13, 2019
Namaste News Line
Erasing Borders Dance Festival Enthralls New York Audience
September 24, 2019
The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC)’s 11th Erasing Borders Dance Festival was held over three days this past weekend. The festival consisted of two shows in Queens and Manhattan boroughs of New York City and four workshops. The artists came from a variety of dance backgrounds from classical to contemporary.
On September 15th, the main show was held at the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theatre in New York City with inaugural addresses by Sunil Hali, IAAC Executive Director, Dr.Nirmal Mattoo, IAAC Chair, Festival Director Deepsikha Chatterjee and Curator Uttara Coorlawala. The opening performance by Radhe Jaggi, a graduate of Kalakshetra Foundation, disciple of Leela Samson and also daughter of Sadhguru, enthralled the audience with a Bharatnatyam piece Sankara Srigiri choreographed by Leela Samson. This was followed by IndianRaga trio of Isha Parupudi, Swathi Jaisankar and Sophia Salingaros who performed a medley of their works – Shiva Shambho, Mohanakalyani Thillana, Depression and Kaa Vaa Vaa. Brinda Guha brought in her group Kalamandir Dance Company to perform urbanJATRA, a contemporary piece drawing from Kathak & other Indian Classical movements. In Parijat Desai‘s Pardon My Heart, which was the final performance, the choreography weaved together dance with recitation of contemporary verse and with Hindustani khayal and tarana music.
Post performance, the talk back was moderated by Parul Shah, dancer, choreographer and one of the curators at the festival. On the agenda were gender issues and contemporary interpretations as compared to classical dance forms.
Sunil Hali, IAAC Executive Director, noted there was positive feedback about the festival. “The way the community responded to this event leading to a sold out show is very heartening” he said. “We want to grow strength to strength by showcasing the best and finest Indian dance performances to the New York community.” he added.
The IAAC supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. They work cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden their collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding. Their focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work here. The IAAC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. For information please visit www.iaac.us.
URL: https://namastenewsline.com/2019/09/24/erasing-borders-dance-festival-enthralls-new-york-audience/
Sept 15, 2019 - Workshop
Sept 15, 2019 - Performance
Sept 14, 2019 - Performance
Artist Photos
Sept 16, 2019 - Workshops
Sept 15, 2019 - Workshop
Sept 15, 2019 - Performance
Happy Independence Day! On this joyous occasion, IAAC is proud to support the efforts of the Indian consulate in New York IndiainNew York NY to provide a platform to showcase the Indian dance forms of #Mohiniyattam and #Bharatnatyam. Thanks to Sophia Salingaros and Sruthi Mohan for the fabulous performances. Thanks to Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty for his support of the Indian arts.
The 2019 Erasing Borders Festival of Indian dance #EBDance will be held from September 14-16 and includes performances, workshops and panel discussions. Please find further details and tickets on our website at IAAC.us
Curatorial Guidelines
We are only taking in digital applications this year.
You can submit solos, duets or larger groups.
Typically, an artist performs for 8-13 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. Below are some tips for editing your videos:
- The dancer should be clearly visible in the video.
- The video(s) you submit should be of the work that you propose to perform at the festival, and should reflect exactly what you will plan to perform that evening. In case the video exceeds the timing, please indicate time markers in your application for the segment/s you are proposing.
- You may submit up to 2 additional alternative videos with your application. Each video should follow ideally be less than 13 minutes.
- 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. - 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.
- The video you submit should be include the complete, continuous work you intend to perform, if selected. 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.
paypal email: admin@iaac.us
ERASING BORDERS DANCE FESTIVAL
Dances & Choreographers Apply Now to Present Your Work at the 2019 Festival
The Erasing Borders Dance Festival of The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) invites applications from dancers, dance companies and choreographers across the world to present works of artistic excellence sharing movement, heritage and inspiration from the Indian subcontinent. The festival is curated for the New York City public.
Deadline for applications: April 30th 2019
Festival date: Late September 2019
We are looking for:
- Exciting works and new voices from within traditional Indian dance.
- 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.
Professional works of 8-20 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).
- Only professional level performances will be considered for the festival.
- Non-refundable application fee of $20.
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 curators.
- 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 $20 application fee through 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!
- New policy due to unforeseen circumstances: Invited dancers are requested to organize their own visas and airfares to the Erasing Borders Dance Festival 2019.
Indo American Art Council proudly presents stellar classical and contemporary Indian dancers for the eleventh Erasing Borders Dance Festival.
Radhe Jaggi trained in Kalakshetra style Bharatanatyam to Indian Raga’s highly skilled dancers performing contemporary Bharatanatyam to contemporary music videos from India’s Vishwakiran Nambi, we offer a delectable evening of dance.
Indian dance community can benefit from career development panels on grant writing, promotion, and company development.
Sept 14, 2019 - Performance
Community Center, 143-09 Holly Avenue, Flushing, NY 11355
Performance Lineup
Buy Ticket(Eventbrite) Or Buy Ticket(Sulekha)-
7:00-9:00 PM
- Radhe Jaggi (Bharatanatyam): Sankara Srigiri
- Parijat Desai (Contemporary): Pardon My Heart
- Kalamandir Dance Company: urbanJATRA
Sept 15, 2019 - Workshops
Studio 6B, Alvin Ailey Studios, 405 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019
Panels for Performance Professionalization
Buy Ticket-
1:30-2:30 PM
Growing your company, Fundraising and Grants
Aparna Ramaswamy (Ragamala Dance Company), Nolini Baretto (Lower Manhattan Cultural Council)
-
2:30-3:00 PM
Tea and snack break
-
3:00-4:30 PM
Choreographing Narrative
Tamar RogoffBody Scripting: An approach to Choreography
Body scripting is my own investigative approach that connects my fascination with experiential anatomy to the process of making choreography and directing performance. This workshop will include learning this approach through guided improvisations and making your own body scripts/choreography.
Sept 15, 2019 - Performance
Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theatre, 405 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019
Erasing Borders Dance Festival in New York 2019
Buy Ticket-
5:00-7:00 PM with Talk back to follow at the end
Performance line up
- Radhe Jaggi: Sankara Srigiri
His body smeared with ash, his third eyes shining upon his forehead, with a garland of skulls adorning his chest Shiva danced the Celestial Dance. The bells of his anklet resound while the sages and deities watch in wonder. Sankara Srigiri is a kriti describing the dance of Shiva in the Chit Sabha. He is accompanied on instruments by all the gods who have gathered to watch.
- IndianRaga: Tradition in Transition: New-Age Bharatanatyam
IndianRaga's work seeks to prove that innovation and tradition are not mutually exclusive. “EDM Alarippu” uniquely pairs the well known Alarippu with electronic musical elements. Similarly, “Shiva Shambho” offers a new take on classical nritta, weaving in aspects of Shiva with intense footwork and dramatic poses. “Revelations” depicts a young woman’s struggle for her mother’s acceptance of her sexuality, while “Depression” exhibits the everyday struggle of living with mental illness. We see the future of Indian classical dance as highly relevant to the present day, and one that can transcend cultural, religious, and social boundaries.
- Kalamandir Dance Company: urbanJATRA
Kalamandir Dance Company presents an excerpt of their original production "urbanJATRA", drawing from their roots of traditional Kathak & other Indian Classical movements while combining them with a contemporary sensibility and movement vocabulary. Their collective Jatra (or Yatra in Sanskrit, meaning journey) leads them on a comprehensive and poignant path towards liberation and coexistence through the lens of Brinda Guha's signature Contemporary Indian dance style.
- Parijat Desai: Pardon My Heart
Pardon My Heart by Parijat Desai reimagines the lovelorn nayika. She talks to her heart, who answers back, and they dance out longing. Desai's choreography weaves together dance with recitation of contemporary verse by poet Marcus Jackson and Pakistani legend Faiz Ahmed Faiz, and with Hindustani thumri and tarana music.
- Radhe Jaggi: Sankara Srigiri
Sept 16, 2019 - Workshops
Diana 203, Barnard College, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027
-
1:10-2:25 PM
Barnard post performance discussion on Dancing Identity/Dancing Indianness
All performers from Sept 15 will be involved -
4:10-5:25 PM
Venue - Studio One in Barnard Hall, Barnard College, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027
Post performance workshop.
With Radhe Jaggi (Kalakshetra bharatanatyam)
Sept 14, 2019 - Performance
Community Center, 143-09 Holly Avenue, Flushing, NY 11355
Erasing Borders Dance Festival in New York 2019
-
7:00-9:00 PM
Performance line up
- Radhe Jaggi: Sankara Srigiri
His body smeared with ash, his third eyes shining upon his forehead, with a garland of skulls adorning his chest Shiva danced the Celestial Dance. The bells of his anklet resound while the sages and deities watch in wonder. Sankara Srigiri is a kriti describing the dance of Shiva in the Chit Sabha. He is accompanied on instruments by all the gods who have gathered to watch.
- Parijat Desai: Pardon My Heart
Pardon My Heart by Parijat Desai reimagines the lovelorn nayika. She talks to her heart, who answers back, and they dance out longing. Desai's choreography weaves together dance with recitation of contemporary verse by poet Marcus Jackson and Pakistani legend Faiz Ahmed Faiz, and with Hindustani thumri and tarana music.
Pardon My Heart
Performed By: Parijat Desai Choreography, Direction and Costume By: Parijat Desai Poetry By: Marcus Jackson and Faiz Ahmad Faiz (translation by Agha Shahid Ali) Music (recorded): Ravi Shankar, "Chaturang Tarana," Ulhas Kashalkar, Khayal in Raag Nat Bihag Sound Design: Stephan Moore Music Editing: Stephan Moore and Parijat Desai Dramaturgy By: Gian Marco Lo Forte - Kalamandir Dance Company: urbanJATRA
Kalamandir Dance Company presents an excerpt of their original production "urbanJATRA", drawing from their roots of traditional Kathak & other Indian Classical movements while combining them with a contemporary sensibility and movement vocabulary. Their collective Jatra (or Yatra in Sanskrit, meaning journey) leads them on a comprehensive and poignant path towards liberation and coexistence through the lens of Brinda Guha's signature Contemporary Indian dance style.
Sept 15, 2019 - Workshops
Studio 6B, Alvin Ailey Studios, 405 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019
Panels for Performance Professionalization
-
1:30-2:30 PM
Growing your company, Fundraising and Grants
- Aparna Ramaswamy: (Ragamala Dance Company)
Described as “rapturous and profound” by The New York Times, Aparna Ramaswamy is Co-Artistic Director of Ragamala Dance Company (with her mother, Ranee Ramaswamy). Through her performances, Aparna explores the dynamic tension between the ancestral and the contemporary, highlighting the fluidity between the secular and the spiritual, the human and the natural. Aparna’s is a senior disciple of the legendary Bharatanatyam dancer Padma Bhushan Smt. Alarmél Valli.
- Nolini Barretto: (Lower Manhattan Cultural Council)
Nolini Barretto has long been part of the New York arts community. She worked at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance for 13 years, the last few years as Administrative Director of the school. She was the Director of Marketing for Dance Theater Workshop in Chelsea, helping it transition into its new building, managing its rebranding efforts and launching its Inaugural season. Nolini was originally a Chhau dancer in India and received a Master’s degree in Arts Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University. Nolini worked at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, where she founded the site-specific performance series, Sitelines, which she curated and produced for six years. Nolini served on the Bessies Committee (New York Dance and Performance Awards) from 2007 to 2014; and as a member of Dance Films Association’s Board of Directors from 2012 to 2018. Nolini was the Co-Curator of DFA’s Dance on Camera Festival at Lincoln Center in July 2019.
-
2:30-3:00 PM
Tea and snack break
-
3:00-4:30 PM
Choreographing Narrative
-
Tamar RogoffBody Scripting: An approach to Choreography
-
Sept 15, 2019 - Performance
Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theatre, 405 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019
Erasing Borders Dance Festival in New York 2019
- Radhe Jaggi: Sankara Srigiri
His body smeared with ash, his third eyes shining upon his forehead, with a garland of skulls adorning his chest Shiva danced the Celestial Dance. The bells of his anklet resound while the sages and deities watch in wonder. Sankara Srigiri is a kriti describing the dance of Shiva in the Chit Sabha. He is accompanied on instruments by all the gods who have gathered to watch.
- IndianRaga: Tradition in Transition: New-Age Bharatanatyam
IndianRaga's work seeks to prove that innovation and tradition are not mutually exclusive. “EDM Alarippu” uniquely pairs the well known Alarippu with electronic musical elements. Similarly, “Shiva Shambho” offers a new take on classical nritta, weaving in aspects of Shiva with intense footwork and dramatic poses. “Revelations” depicts a young woman’s struggle for her mother’s acceptance of her sexuality, while “Depression” exhibits the everyday struggle of living with mental illness. We see the future of Indian classical dance as highly relevant to the present day, and one that can transcend cultural, religious, and social boundaries.
- Kalamandir Dance Company: urbanJATRA
Kalamandir Dance Company presents an excerpt of their original production "urbanJATRA", drawing from their roots of traditional Kathak & other Indian Classical movements while combining them with a contemporary sensibility and movement vocabulary. Their collective Jatra (or Yatra in Sanskrit, meaning journey) leads them on a comprehensive and poignant path towards liberation and coexistence through the lens of Brinda Guha's signature Contemporary Indian dance style.
- Parijat Desai: Pardon My Heart
Pardon My Heart by Parijat Desai reimagines the lovelorn nayika. She talks to her heart, who answers back, and they dance out longing. Desai's choreography weaves together dance with recitation of contemporary verse by poet Marcus Jackson and Pakistani legend Faiz Ahmed Faiz, and with Hindustani thumri and tarana music.
Pardon My Heart
Performed By: Parijat Desai with Kiran Ahluwalia (vocal), Neel Murgai (sitar), Arun Ramamurthy (violin), Ehren Hansen (tabla) Choreography, Script, Direction and Costume By: Parijat Desai Poetry By: Marcus Jackson and Faiz Ahmad Faiz (translation by Agha Shahid Ali) Music: Ravi Shankar, "Chaturang Tarana", Vilambit Khayal in Raag Nat Bihag Sound Design: Stephan Moore Music Arrangement By: Parijat Desai in collaboration with musicians Dramaturgy By: Gian Marco Lo Forte
5:00-7:00 PM with Talk back to follow at the end
Performance line up
Sept 16, 2019 - Workshops
Diana 203, Barnard College, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027
-
1:10-2:25 PM
Post performance discussion: Dancing Identity/Dancing Indianness
All performers from Sept 15 will be involved- Radhe Jaggi: Sankara Srigiri
- Parijat Desai: Pardon My Heart
- IndianRaga: Tradition in Transition: New-Age Bharatanatyam
-
4:10-5:25 PM
Venue - Studio One in Barnard Hall, Barnard College, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027
Post performance workshop.
-
With Radhe Jaggi (Kalakshetra bharatanatyam)
Radhe Jaggi: Sankara Srigiri
-
With Radhe Jaggi (Kalakshetra bharatanatyam)
Artists Bios
Radhe Jaggi
Radhe Jaggi, a graduate of Kalakshetra Foundation, is a disciple of Leela Samson. She has performed in leading venues across India like the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, ITC Sangeet Research Academy among many others. She is currently a performing member of Spanda Dance Company, directed by Leela Samson. She toured the USA with the dance company in the summer of 2017 for their production Nadi – Of Love and Longing.
In addition to her performances around India, Radhe completed a successful tour of the United States. She was invited to South Korea as part of an InKo centre initiative to work with the performance theatre group ‘Tuida’. Radhe has performed at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University, and was invited to perform for a select audience at the House of Commons, Westminster Abbey, London.
Her years of studying and practicing yoga add to her understanding of the movements and expression involved in Bharatanatyam. Radhe hopes to continue the tradition of the Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale, by bringing a blend of rich abhinaya and crisp adavus to her performances.
IndianRaga
MIT-founded digital arts education startup IndianRaga provides online education courses in the performing arts with instructor assistance. They operate in over 40 global cities to help artists learn, perform and shine. With over 10 Million views in just 2 years on its video library, the IndianRaga Facebook page and YouTube channel are some of the most engaged social media platforms for Indian performing arts. Most noteworthy are new-age innovations like Carnatic A Cappella, Desi Cover of Cheap Thrills, EDM Thillana, Irish Malhar and other viral pieces that have captivated the attention of millions of audiences.
Swathi Jaisankar
Swathi Jaisankar is a Bharatanatyam dancer training under Smt. Suba Parmar and Sri. Swamimalai Suresh. She has won numerous accolades and has given several solo performances in the US and abroad. She is a 2017 Young Arts Winner and a Creative Director for IndianRaga 2017 through which she choreographed and danced in over 15 major productions receiving millions of views. Her recent notable performances include performing in the 2018 World Government Summit in Dubai for the Prime Minister of India, the United Nations, NY in Jan. 2019, the prestigious Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival 2018, and two ninety minute solo performances in the 2019 Chennai Dance Festival. As a lead performer for her college dance team Jalwa, she also excels in other dance forms such as Bollywood, Bhangra, and Contemporary. Currently pursuing Computer Engineering at Boston University, Swathi hopes to continue growing as a passionate and versatile dancer.
Isha Parupudi
Isha Parupudi is a Bharatanatyam dancer from Houston, TX, and a student of Dr. Rathna Kumar. She has been dancing since the age of 9, and has performed across the U.S. and abroad. In 2018, she participated in the opening performance for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's keynote speech at the World Government Summit in Dubai, and also had the opportunity to dance in Chennai, India as a part of the dance festival season. Over the years, she has also performed at the United Nations, Jacob’s Pillow, and Barnstorm Dance. Isha was a 2017 and 2018 IndianRaga fellow, and videos she has participated in have gained millions of views through social media. Isha is honored to have been named a 2019 YoungArts Finalist and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. She was also a 2018 Texas Young Master, and was awarded a grant by the TX Commission on the Arts and Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott. Through this grant, she was able to study with world renowned dancers Bala Kondalarao and Rama Vaidyanathan in India. Isha also accompanied Rama Vaidyanathan on her U.S. and France tour of her acclaimed production "Vivartana". In the fall, Isha plans to join Columbia University in New York, while continuing to pursue dance.
Sophia Salingaros
Born in San Antonio, Texas, Sophia studied Bharatanatyam with Guru Dr. Sreedhara Akkihebbalu from the age of nine. Since her debut recital – 'Arangetram' - in 2010, she has given numerous solo performances in the US and abroad. She is an ICCR Empaneled Artist, a 2013 Young Arts Finalist, and a 2017-2018 IndianRaga Fellow. In 2018, she was invited by the UAE Prime Minister to perform at the World Government Summit in Dubai for Indian Prime Minister Modi. Sophia also studies intensively with Smt. Rama Vaidyanathan in Delhi, and performed in her 2018 and 2019 US and India tours of 'Vivartana'. Also a pre-professional ballet dancer, Sophia studied at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow for six weeks under full scholarship in 2015. She graduated from Columbia University, and passionately continues her pursuit of dance.
Parijat Desai
India-born, U.S.-raised choreographer/dancer Parijat Desai creates hybrids of contemporary, Indian classical and folk dance, theater, and other forms, crossing boundaries of nation, language, and identity through performance. The NYT wrote that Parijat “moves with lush attack,” and called her work “a seamless blending of new and old” . . . “a rejoinder, both physical and verbal, to the sentiment” of xenophobia.
Parijat is a recipient of the 2019–20 LMCC Creative Engagement grant, and a finalist for the NYFA Artist Fellowship in Choreography. Parijat was also a member of Gibney’s 2018–19 Moving Toward Justice Cohort and an artist-in-residence through CUNY Dance Initiative. She also leads Dance In The Round—collective movement experiences based on circle dances from Gujarat, India—offering workshops for all ages and abilities.
Parijat’s first dance guru was Rathna Kumar (bharata natyam and kuchipudi), and she continued her training with Padmini Chari, C. P. and Shanta Dhananjayan, and Viji Prakash. Parijat holds a BA in cultural anthropology from Stanford University and an MFA in choreography from UCLA with professors Victoria Marks, David Rousseve, and Dana Reitz. Parijat has also studied ballet, modern, contemporary, improvisation, and yoga with various NYC, LA, and SF-based artists.
Kalamandir Dance Company
Kalamandir Dance Company (501c3) is a contemporary dance ensemble that uses the vocabulary of classical Indian dance to explore new spaces of artistic expression. Instead of diminishing the foundation of our classical styles, we look to investigate their communicative potential when merged with Western dance traditions. Using Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Manipuri, Odissi, Flamenco, Contemporary, Jazz, African and Ballet training, our dancers collaboratively converse with movement and create dialogue with expression. We are driven by creativity, human emotions, and a desire to be released from the four walls of our daily existence. Our movement vocabulary is a collective effort that aims to create a reachable area for all people to participate and communicate.
Brinda Guha
Brinda Guha is a Kathak & Contemporary Indian dance teacher, choreographer and performer. Along with choreographing for her collective Kalamandir Dance Company, she is a principal performer in the all-female multicultural trio Soles of Duende, as well as the curator of the live, seasonal showcase dedicated to women, Wise Fruit NYC. She teaches Contemporary Indian dance at Liberated Movement, and Kathak & Creative Arts at her mother's school, Kalamandir of NJ, and it's subsidiaries in Jamaica, Queens, and Manhattan, NYC.
Cassie Broussard
Originally from Marietta, GA, Cassie began dancing at an early age and is currently working as a dancer, instructor, and choreographer. She has enjoyed working with KDC since 2015 …
Emi De Olio
Emi was born and raised in Japan. Her dance style evolved from the foundations of Jazz, Hip Hop, Waacking, Vogue and Latin dance. This is her first season with Kalamandir Dance Company and she is grateful to be a part of it.
Giorgia Vitali
Born and raised in Abruzzo, Italy, Giorgia trained at Joffrey Ballet School and Peridance Capezio Center. Active in both concert dance scene and commercial scene, she’s part of Mystic India, LeSalsa and ThruLines; it is a true honor for her to work and perform for Brinda Guha with KDC.
Julia Sitch
Julia Sitch, originally from Honolulu, HI, joined the company in 2018 for their production of, "urbanJATRA" at Dixon Place. She is currently finishing her degree at The New School and is grateful to be dancing with KDC for another season.
Rashmi Rajendran
Having studied & trained in two styles of Indian Classical dance namely Mohiniattam & Bharatnatyam for 20 years, Rashmi has had the opportunity to perform at various reputed dance festivals across India. She continued her study of dance from Broadway Dance Center, NYC and now experiments with the amalgamation of different styles of movement.
Stephanie Lim
Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Stephanie is a graduate of Broadway Dance Center's International program and the Professional Program at the Martha Graham School. She currently dances for Ginger Cox/LiNK! the movement, Kalamandir Dance Company, and Shauna Sorensen & Dancers. She is also a certified Personal Trainer.
Victoria Vikstrom
Born and raised in Sweden, Victoria have been performing across Scandinavia as well as touring in the US. In New York, she's had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Phil Orsano, Derek Mitchell, Brinda Guha, Peggy Choy and has appeared on MTV, ABC and Good Day New York.
Panelist and Curator Bios
Festival Committee and Panelists
Aparna Ramaswamy: Ragamala Dance Company
Described as “rapturous and profound” by The New York Times, Aparna Ramaswamy is Co-Artistic Director of Ragamala Dance Company (with her mother, Ranee Ramaswamy). Through her performances, Aparna explores the dynamic tension between the ancestral and the contemporary, highlighting the fluidity between the secular and the spiritual, the human and the natural. Aparna’s is a senior disciple of the legendary Bharatanatyam dancer Padma Bhushan Smt. Alarmél Valli.
Aparna's awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Research Fellowship at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center (Italy), a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, and a Joyce Award. She has been commissioned by Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Walker Art Center, American Dance Festival, and the Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, and has been presented by the Joyce Theater, The Kennedy Center, The Music Academy (Chennai), and the National Centre for Performing Arts (Mumbai), among others.
Nolini Barretto
Nolini Barretto has long been part of the New York arts community. She worked at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance for 13 years, the last few years as Administrative Director of the school. She was the Director of Marketing for Dance Theater Workshop in Chelsea, helping it transition into its new building, managing its rebranding efforts and launching its Inaugural season. Nolini was originally a Chhau dancer in India and received a Master’s degree in Arts Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University. Nolini worked at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, where she founded the site-specific performance series, Sitelines, which she curated and produced for six years. Nolini served on the Bessies Committee (New York Dance and Performance Awards) from 2007 to 2014; and as a member of Dance Films Association’s Board of Directors from 2012 to 2018. Nolini was the Co-Curator of DFA’s Dance on Camera Festival at Lincoln Center in July 2019.
Tamar Rogoff
Tamar Rogoff is artistic director of Tamar Rogoff Performance Projects and does inclusive, multidisciplinary, multigenerational, and site-specific performance and film. She has developed body scripting, an experiential approach that informs her lifelong teaching and choreographic process. Rogoff reaches out to a variety of communities to find cast members who will represent the widest spectrum of experience. Early in her career she studied Bharata Natyam in Varanasi, India. Her work has been shown at P.S. 122, LaMaMa, Lincoln Center and abroad. Rogoff choreographed for Claire Danes at P.S. 122 and was her movement coach for HBO’s Temple Grandin. Rogoff’s films have been screened worldwide. She has been funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, Rockefeller MAP Grant, NYFA, Sundance, IFP and was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship.
Committee and Curators
Deepsikha Chatterjee: Dance Director
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 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
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 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.