FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2015
Tickets & Info: 212-545-7536

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The World Music Institute is proud to present the fourth annual DANCING THE GODS festival, to be held April 25 and April 26 at NYU Skirball Center (566 LaGuardia Place). This festival unites some of the world's most talented Indian classical dancers with live musicians for two spectacular nights of performances and free activities that bring the audience closer to the artists.

Saturday, April 25, 2015
8:00 p.m. — Mainstage Performance
7:00 p.m. — Lecture-demonstration on "Gurus and Dance Lineages" with Rajika Puri
After the show — Chat & Chai discussion with the artists
 

Premier Bharatanatyam exponent Rama Vaidyanathan made her New York debut at Dancing the Gods in 2011, a performance praised as "vivid" and "exciting" by The New York Times. This time she returns with her daughter, upcoming star Dakshina Vaidyanathan in “DWITA – Duality Of Life.” In DWITA, a Sanskrit term that means duality, a mother and her daughter remind us of the dualities in that pairing. While both complement and empower each other, one symbolizes the present and the other is significant to the future. They explore how there are always two sides to a coin, two paths to a goal, and discover that, for both to coexist, both must be recognized. The production, choreographed by Rama, is accompanied by her ensemble of musicians from India. 

“Another artist now showing real mastery was Rama Vaidyanathan; and in her recital, the surprising element was humor, with constant dashes of satire, wryness and amusement.” 
– The New York Times

“Ms. Vaidyanathan showed the beauty and expressiveness of Bharatanatyam
in terms of full-stretched line, gesture and rhythm.” 
– The New York Times

Sunday, April 26, 2015
7:00 p.m. — Mainstage Performance
6:00 p.m. — Lecture-demonstration on "Gurus and Dance Lineages" with Rajika Puri
After the show — Chat & Chai discussion with the artists
 

Prashant Shah and Parul Shah Company each perform a tribute to their shared teacher Padma Bhushan Kumudini Lakhia, a legendary pioneer in contemporary Kathak and founder of Kadamb Centre for Dance & Music. Prashant Shah’s solo work has focused on returning to the traditional roots of Kathak, with its brilliant footwork and compelling rhythms; he is accompanied by a master tabla player. Parul Shah excels also in contemporary group choreography often set to new music; her new work "Can't Trust the Bols" is accompanied by tabla and cello.

“…new thinkers like Prashant Shah gives Kathak dance a promising future.” 
– The Hindustan Times

“Parul Shah danced a 'Chasing Shadows' solo that brought the house down.
Her sources are splendidly hybrid: contemporary dance, the Kathak technique of north India,
the female temple-court artists of south India.”
– The New York Times

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

RAMA VAIDYANATHAN is a leading exponent of Bharatanatyam, a popular classical dance form of India. She is undoubtedly one of the most sought after artists of her generation, having carved a name for herself in the Bharatanatyam world. She has trained intensively under the legendary dancer Yamini Krishnamurthy and the renowned Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan. Audiences and critics are struck by her unique thought process and fresh approach to dance. While deeply routed in tradition, she has evolved her own individual style without forsaking the core principles of Bharata Natyam. She brings to her dance a rare sense of devotion and dedication, which leaves the audience with a sense of spiritual fulfillment.

DAKSHINA VAIDYANATHAN comes from a family of eminent Bharatanatyam dancers. She has undergone rigorous training at Ganesa Natyalaya under the able tutelage of her grandmother Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan and her mother Rama Vaidyanathan. From the age of 10, Dakshina has been accompanying both her grandmother and her mother on various performance tours in India and abroad. Dakshina has a style that amalgamates the delicacies of Bharatnatyam with the intricacies of modern day issues. She believes in the power of dance for spreading awareness towards social issues. Dakshina has traveled to UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, USA and all over India with Soorya for various performance tours. She is the Honorary President of SARVAM, an NGO started under her Guru for teaching dance to the socially and economically challenged, and the mentally and physically challenged. Dakshina is considered as one of the brightest star in the younger generation of Bharatanatyam dancers.

PRASHANT SHAH is one of the few acclaimed male Kathak dancers performing and choreographing in the world today. Shah is a senior disciple of Padma Bhushan Smt. Kumudini Lakhia, whose teaching system involves rigorous technical training while also encouraging the use of dance as a mode of self-expression to scratch beyond the surface of technique. As a choreographer, his highly developed awareness of space and rhythm, along with his own traditional and contemporary ideas, drives him to work with various dancers of other classical dance styles. Pieces he has toured to critical acclaim in India and around the world include: Independence, with Nina Rajarani (Bharata Natyam dancer based in UK); Kathak Pravas, with Kelly Verma (Kathak dancer based in Holland); and Anokha and Les Corps etrangers, a joint production of hip hop, Bharata Natyam and Kathak with Kader Attou (hip hop dancer/choreographer based in France). Prashant was also invited to choreograph and perform in Sweden in 2006 for a joint production of Kathak-Flamenco, specially commissioned by Swedish Arts Council.

PARUL SHAH is an internationally acclaimed Kathak 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 developing a unique and powerful vocabulary. Behind Shah’s work is decades of rigorous Kathak training under the world-renowned guru and choreographer, Padmashree Kumudini Lakhia. As one of her top students, Parul has internalized Ms. Lakia’s vision and focused on the importance of revealing Kathak’s soulfullness and possibilities. Her work includes traditional solo pieces alongside compelling contemporary group choreographies. Shah’s New York studio is home to both the parul shah dance company and her training facility. She has presented her solo and group works at major venues around the world, including City Center’s first Fall for Dance Festival in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C, Jacobs Pillow in M.A and at the Japan Forum Foundation in Japan. She has collaborated on numerous international projects and presented in Asia, Europe, and North America.

"a widely copied and influential force in New York cultural circles."
— The New York Times
 

Founded in 1985 as a not-for-profit, World Music Institute has served as the leading presenter of world music and dance within the United States. For the past 30 years, WMI has built the most comprehensive concert series of diverse music and dance performances, presenting the finest in traditional and contemporary music and dance from around the world. WMI encourages cultural exchange between nations and ethnic groups and collaborates with community organizations and academic institutions in fostering greater understanding of the world’s cultural traditions. WMI works extensively with community groups and organizations including Indian, Iranian, Chinese, Korean, Middle Eastern, Latin American, Hungarian, Irish, and Central Asian. This has enabled WMI to be at the forefront of presenting the finest ensembles from these countries.

WMI curates a full season of concerts each year in New York City in venues throughout the city, including Symphony Space, Town Hall, Roulette, Skirball Performing Arts Center at NYU, New York City Center, Le Poisson Rouge, the Rose Theater (Jazz at Lincoln Center), and Carnegie Hall. It has presented more than 1,500 concerts and events featuring artists from more than 100 countries including Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East. Many concerts have been presented as thematic series; these have included Global Salon, The Musical World of Islam, Masters of Indian Music, Dancing The Gods, Africa in the Americas, Music around the Mediterranean, and National Heritage Masters.

In addition to its regular programming, WMI has brought many musical, dance and ritual traditions to the New York or U.S. stage for the first time, including Laotian sung poetry, folk music of Khorason and Bushehr (Iran), songs of the Yemenite Jews, Bardic divas of Central Asia, trance ceremonies from Morocco, music from Madagascar, and Theyyams (masked dances) of Kerala, South India.

Tickets available online at www.worldmusicinstitute.org,
by calling (212) 545-7536, and at the WMI Box Office (101 Lafayette Street, #801)
Subscription, student, and group discounts available

For further information, press tickets, photos, and to arrange interviews,
please contact Aleba & Co. at 212/206-1450 or aleba@alebaco.com.