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Erasing Borders 2009: Festival of Indian Dance
Sonali Skandan (Bharatanatyam) |
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| Photo by Nicole Fournier |
For Sonali, Bharatanatyam is more than a dance form; it is a means of expression and joy. Combining powerful rhythmically intense footwork, graceful and lyrical postures, and dramatic story-telling, Bharatanatyam is a confluence of many artistic genres from dance to theatre to music and literature. Sonali is a devoted and passionate disciple of Bharatanatyam and is under the guidance of the renowned dancer and teacher, Professor CV Chandrasekhar of Chennai, India.
A core component of Sonali's work involves education. Sonali holds a Masters degree in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and has been instrumental in starting up an arts education high school, Heritage School, in Manhattan. She uses her experience in teaching to develop engaging and enriching lecture demonstrations and workshops for professional dancers, students and teachers. She has taught at venues such as the Rubin Museum of Art, Brooklyn Friends School, the Door NYC, South Asian Youth Action youth groups as well as New York City public schools in Manhattan and Brooklyn. She also presented a workshop entitled "Teaching South Asia through Indian Classical Dance" at the Teachers College Conference for Asian-American Teachers. Sonali is a Teaching Artist for Young Audiences New York and presents performances and dance residencies throughout the NYC area. Sonali is teaching a course entitled the Basics of Bharatanatyam at New York University's Coles Center. www.sonaliskandan.com |
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