“When we learn how to become resilient, we learn how to embrace the beautifully broad spectrum of the human experience.” ― Jaeda Dewalt
Thank you for joining us virtually to celebrate Indian dance, globally. For 27 years, IDEA has promoted, presented, and preserved Indian classical dance in the DC metro area, and this marks our 18th Dance Festival. We are excited and honored to showcase over 60 speakers and presenters and 8 hours of dance performances in Bharathanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, and contemporary dance by 20 groups from around the world. Looking forward to meeting you online! Click on the links below to learn about our accomplished participants.
THEMATIC DANCE PERFORMANCES
April 29 - Day 1 @ 7pm
1. Parampara: A Continuing Journey (Odissi)
Presenter: Mayur Dance Company, MD, USA2. Faces of Resilience (Kuchipudi)
Presenter: Sri Sai Dance Academy, VA, USA3. Uddhriti: Preservation & Resurrection (Manipuri)
Presenter: Sanjib Bhattacharya, Movements in Motion, CA, USA4. Dvimukhi (Bharatanatyam & Kathak)
Presenter: Seema Viswanath, Nritya MāyāNanda School of Arts, NC, USA5. Tavas (Classical & Contemporary)
Presenter: Chitra Arvind, Rhythmotion, INDIA
April 30 - Day 2 @ 6pm
1. Hindu Gods (Bharathanatyam Collaboration)
Presenter: Prabha Ravi, Natraj School of Dance, NZ2. Following Lessons from Yesterday to Guide a Better Tomorrow (Odissi)
Nrityalaya, School of Indian Classical Odissi Dance, DC, USA3. The Resilience of the Female Spirit: Through the Ages (Bharathanatyam & Contemporary)
Presenter: Rithika Ashok, Nrityanjali Dance Company, VA, USA4. Yatra: A Journey Within (Bharathanatyam)
Presenter: Shobha Subramanian, Jayamangala, MD, USA
May 1 - Day 3 @ 6pm
1. Usha: The Morning Glory (Contemporary Kathak)
Presenter: Arpita Roy, Jhanak Dance Academy, VA, USA2. Rama Varnam (Bharatanatyam)
Presenter: Sheela Ramanathan, Kalavaridhi Center for performing Arts, VA, USA3. Resilience through Cosmos (Kathak)
Presenter: Bratati Saha, Arpan Dance Academy, VA, USA4. Sva: An Introspective Journey (Bharathanatyam)
Presenter: Madhuvanthi Sundararajan, MD, USA5. Ummeed: Hope (Kuchipudi)
Presenter: Lakshmi Babu, Kuchipudi Dance Academy, MD, USA6. Sri Rama Chandra (Kuchipudi)
Presenter: Pranamya Suri, Natyanjali Kuchipudi Dance School , TX, USA7. Gummana Kareyadire (Bharatanatyam)
Presenter: Niveditha Iyengar, Natyarpana School of Dance and Music, NC, USA8. Exploring the Balance of Rhythm & Melody in Kathak
Presenter: Garima Yadav, Kathak Aura, MO, USA9. Dancing for Beloved (Kalavanthulu & Kuchipudi)
Presenter: Aalekhya Prabha Mangalampalli, INDIA10. Rise Upward, Move Forward (Kathak Collaboration)
Presenter: Srabanti Roy, Roomjhoom Nrityalaya, DC, USA
MASTER CLASSES
1. Abhinaya Darpana & Its Relevance Today
Day 2 - 12:00 pm
Presenter: Anupama Kylash
2. Types of Abhinaya & Impact on Performance
Day 3 - 9:00 am
Presenters: Dr. Lalitha Srinivasan, Prof. Ranjana Srivatsava
3. Raga & Tala to Enhance the Bhava
Day 3 - 10:00 am
Presenters: Kiran Subramanyam, Ramya Kapadia
4. Aesthetics of Solo & Group Choreography
Day 3 - 1:00 pm
Presenter: Kasi Aysola
5. Relationship Between Music & Dance
Day 3 - 12:00 pm
Presenters: Aparna Sathe, Madhuvanthi Sundararajan, Ameya King
6. Marketing a Dance Program: How to Organically Build an Audience
Day 3 - 4:00 pm
Presenters: Heena Patel, Shruthi Mukund
7. Body Conditioning & Movement
Day 4 - 9:00 am
Presenter: Rukmini Vijaykumar
8. The Essence of Natyashastra & How to Apply It to Your Dance
Day 4 - 10:00 am
Presenter: Yashoda Thakore
MOVIE SCREENINGS &
PANEL DISCUSSIONS
1. Dance Like a Man | Gender Roles & Society
Society and the patriarchy have created a certain cultural environment where rules have been imposed based on gender. We will explore how it is for male and non-binary dancers to traverse their journeys as Indian classical dancers.
Speakers: Sooraj Subramaniam, Brinda Guha, Parimal Phadke
Moderator: Kasi Aysola
2. Kalpana | Evolution of Indian Contemporary Dance
Understanding the various influences on Indian Contemporary Dance and how each dancer builds their own pedagogy
Speakers: Aparna Sindoor, Raka Maitra, Meena Nag Basu
Moderator: Kiran Rajagopal
3. Jhanak Jhanak Payal Bhaje | Influence of Classical Dance in Indian Cinema
Discussing the age long influence of Indian classical dance in Indian cinema through choreographers and trained actors & exploring how Indian classical dance and cinema made an impact on the South Asian diaspora growing up in the US.
Speakers: Nirathi Rao, Sheila Oak, Maneesha Sathe
Moderator: Madhavi Reddi
4. Sringaram | Decolonization of Indian Classical Dance: Where Are the Hereditary Dancers Today?
The Bharathanatyam we see in the 21st century is very different from what the style was before the British occupation of India. Our panelists will trace the history of Bharathanatyam from pre-colonization to today and how colonization & Brahminizing the dance form allowed room for appropriation and reframing the narrative.
Speakers: Dr. Saskia Kersenbom, Padmini Ravi, Vidya Shankarnarayan, Padmini Sreedhar, Charumathi Chandrasekharan
Moderator: Shruthi Mukund
PANEL DISCUSSIONS
1. Are we moving away from traditionality in pursuit of newer audiences?
While finding new stages online as well as building audiences in countries outside of Indian, are dancers moving away from the traditional repertoire to bring in new audiences and should they?
Day 2 - 5:00 pm
Speakers: Rathna Kumar, Krithika Rajagopalan, Mythili Prakash
Moderator: Deepti Mukund Navile
2. Art, Artist & Artistry of Dance & Filming Dance
This conversation will follow the screening of The Unseen Sequence, a film by Sumantra Ghoshal exploring Bharatnatyam through the art of Malavika Sarukkai
Day 2 - 9:30 pm
Speakers: Malavika Sarukkai, Sumantra Ghoshal
Moderator: Shruthi Mukund
3. Virtual Dance Performance and Education During the Pandemic
Understanding how performers continued to creatively perform and find opportunities during the pandemic by using technology
Day 3 - 11:00 am
Speakers: Shambhavi Dandekar, N. Srikanth Natarajan, Rachna Nivas
Moderator: Shreya Navile
4. Propagating Dharmic Values and Traditions through Indian Classical Dance
Understanding how Indian classical dance has been an age-old medium to transfer dharmic values and traditions to the next generation, which is especially relevant when teaching Indian Classical dance outside of India
Day 3 - 3:00 pm
Speakers: Dr. Aparna Ramaswamy, Sujata Banerjee, Rita Mitra Mustaphi
Moderator: Lakshmi Babu Bangaru
5. Does today’s world appreciate Lokadharmi dance more than Natyadharmi performance?
Are our audiences looking more for entertainment rather than a classical performance?
Day 3 - 5:00 pm
Speakers: Prasanna Kasturi, Jyothi Chintalpudi, Sridevi Jagannath
Moderator: Shobha Subramaniam
6. Is it necessary to adapt performance and themes to our changing world?
Is adapting our performances to virtual stages, nontraditional spaces, and themes the way to stay relevant?
Day 4 - 10 am
Speakers: Aparna Ramaswamy, Manu Srinivasan, Sriram Emani
Moderator: Shreya Mukerjee
7. Tracing the History of Dance, Performance & Resilience
Discussing how Indian classical dance has morphed to stay and survive. The entrance of Mughals changed how Kathak was performed, the British prohibition brought dance out of the temples and courts into public prosceniums
Day 4 - 11:00 am
Speakers: Yashoda Thakore, Pallabi Chakravorthy, Aniruddha Knight
Moderator: Shruthi Mukund
8. State of Indian Dance Outside of India
A panel of Indian classical dance practitioners and educators outside of India - US, UK, Croatia, Australia
Day 4 - 12:00 pm
Speakers: Rita Mita Mustaphi, Maja Drobac, Prabha Ravi, Sujata Banerjee, Sooraj Subramaniam, Archita Kumar, Harshala Vaidya Totade, Svetlana Tulasi, Anjali Patil, Maresa Moglia
Moderator: Purvi Bhatt
9. India @ 75: Celebrating Indian Culture through Dance in the US
Tracing the spread of Indian culture through Indian dance teachers and performances and understanding its impact among the South Asian diaspora and beyond. We also learn about the Embassy of India’s plans to celebrate India @ 75 in the US.
Day 4 - 1:00 pm
Speakers: Stephen Mani, Viji Prakash, Preeti Vasudevan
Moderator: Dr. Chandni Shah
MEET THE TEAM
FESTIVAL CREDITS:
Concept & Production - Shruthi MukundOperations & Logistics - Krishnaveni GurrapuFinance - Lakshmi Babu BangaruGraphic Designer - Shree KrishnanLogo Design - Shivani PatelVideo Promotions & IndianRaga Liaison - Madhuvanthi SundararajanBrochure Compilation - Aparna Sathe, Srabanti RoyTechnical Support - Vibha Harikar, Ameya KingEmcees for the Performances - Vani Ramesh, Sudha Vikram, Indrani Davaloori, Nidhika Loomba Tuli, Priya KrishnanVideo Streaming and Post-production - Raw Moving Images Hyderabad, India
Creative Head -Suresh Utharadi
Co-director - Valluru Malli
Editor - Bittu Yogesh
Animations -Nagarjuna Reddy Avula & Pavan Kumar EndarapuStudent Volunteer Coordinator - Sai Jagruti Thrasu
Student Volunteers - Sahithi Uyyala, Nidhi Gavva, Swara Bhatt, Vaishnavi Banda, Shreya Barua, Mitra Manikandan, Devi Dutta-SultanIDEA, Indian Dance Educators Association
CEO - Shruthi Mukund
Board Treasurer - Lakshmi Babu Bangara
Board Secretary/Liaison - Krishnaveni Gurappu
Chairperson - Kinkini Murthy
Board of Directors - Bratati Saha, Purvi Bhatt, Srabanti Roy, Vibha Harikar, Aparna Sathe, Madhuvanthi Sundarajan
Student Liaison - Sai Jagruti TharasuA community of dance professionals from all styles of Indian dance, serving the greater community. IDEA is an organization based in the community, serving the community, and enhancing the community. Through our programs, we bring a greater awareness of the unique artistic gifts brought to America’s great cultural tapestry by dancers from India.One of our important offerings is the biannual IDEA Dance Festival presenting classical dances from India. The festival gives a platform to local and visiting artists on which the dancers meet, collaborate, and present the best of their works to the largest possible audience, thereby raising the profile and appreciation of Indian dance in America. IDEA members also work together throughout the year to present group productions that employ dancers and musicians in an atmosphere of mutual respect and professional achievement, providing income and raising funds for future projects of the organization. IDEA also has patrons members who support us generously through donations.There are around 4000 students learning or practicing Indian dance in over sixty schools or companies around the DC metro area. IDEA enhances the greater DC metropolitan area community by enriching the cultural landscape, providing educational opportunities for Americans interested in South Asian dance traditions, and showcasing the transcendent beauty of India’s magnificent dance styles to the community art-lovers everywhere. IDEA provides an artistic database for potential presenters, offering lecture-demonstrations, master classes, workshops, and performances by area dancers as well as guest performers and scholars from the Indian sub-continent.