A public relations colleague of mine, Audrey Ross, just sent me this press release announcing the “Festival of India@75” and “Erasing Borders” Dance Festival which began on Monday, August 8, 2022 and continues through Sunday, August 21, 2022. The additional great news is that admission is FREE to view this incredible festival which can be viewed on Facebook.com and YouTube.com. The running time is 1 hour and 15 minutes.
I have provided Ross’ information below
THE INDO-AMERICAN ARTS COUNCIL
presents
“ERASING BORDERS” and “INDIA @ 75” DANCE FESTIVAL
Program C: Monday August 8 – 21, 2022 free virtual performance
Watch on Facebook.com and YouTube.com
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 featured two live performances, August 6 & 7 at the Ailey Citigroup Theatre, NYC, and a virtual August 8th streaming with artists from India, Canada, and the U.S. Since its founding 15 years ago, the Indo-American Arts Council has distinguished itself with its presentations dedicated to furthering the knowledge and living practices of the arts of the Indian sub-continent
Erasing Borders Dance Festival
Monday August 8 – 21, 2022, virtual
featuring choreography by
Tanya Saxena
Tanveer Alam
Sebastian Tan/MBT
Mythili Anoop
Deepali Salil
India@75
Erasing Borders Dance Festival
Aug 8 – 21, 2022, Virtual
Streamed on Indo American Arts Council Facebook and Youtube with artists from India, US, Canada
Introduction by Subhalakshmi, Amjad Ali Khan
Looking Within Looking Around is created by a team of artists from all over India. It is conceptualized by Deepali Salil.
Cast of “Animals” – Deepali Salili, Nilava Sen, Athul Balu, and Shubhamani Chandrashekar – Photo courtesy of the Indo-American Arts Council
“ANIMALS” is 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
Sponsored by Sundari Silks India
“Animals” is a part of our larger work LOOKING WITHIN LOOKING AROUND, a dance film which urges the audience to “LOOK WITHIN” them and “LOOK AROUND” them. In our film “Animals” the viewers are made to look around them, with a focus on how it’s high time we become more aware of all the other beings that inhabit this planet with us. By taking four animals; Gazelle, Hyena, Orca and Sarus Crane, which are not much explored by Indian Classical Dancers, we seek to renew the connection with our animal kingdom and develop that connection into care and compassion. The only way forward is together. Conserving and living sustainably needs to become a lifestyle.
1.Bindu
Choreographed and performed by Tanya Saxena
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
Tanveer Alam – Photo courtesy of the Indo-American Arts Council
2. Leher (wave)
Choreographed and performed by Tanveer Alam
A minimalist exploration of Vilambit Laya (slow tempo) in Kathak.
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 and he has presented at SummerWorks Festival, Battery Dance Festival +, CanAsian Dance Festival: Grit Short Dances, Tangente and others.
3. Terra (Singapore)
Choreographed by Liz Lea and
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.
Mythili Maratt Anoop – Photo courtesy of the Indo-American Arts Council
4. Bird of Time
Performed and choreographed by Mythili Maratt Anoop
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
Choreographed and performed by Bharatanatyam dancers Nilava Sen as Gazelle, Shubhamani Chandrashekar as Orca, Athul Balu as Hyena, and Deepali Salil as Sarus Crane
Original music composition – Sanchit Choudhary
We wanted to renew the connection with our animal kingdom and develop that connection into care and compassion.
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.
Deepali Salil holds a masters degree (Bharatnatyam) 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 counseller.
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). IAAC is passionately dedicated to promoting, showcasing, and building an awareness of the arts and artists in the performing, visual, literary, and folk arts, whose heritage lies in India. We also gratefully acknowledge our co-existence with the community of artists of New York.
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To learn more about The Indo-American Arts Council, please visit their website.
Written and compiled by Jeff Slayton from August 8, 2022 press release by Audrey Ross.
Featured image: Tanya Saxena – Photo courtesy of the Indo-American Arts Council
