IAAC's Indian dance fest
Sunday, 07.20.2008, 11:57pm (GMT-7)

NEW YORK: The Indo-American Arts Council is holding the First Annual Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dance in New York City from August 18-21.

The IAAC Dance Festival will present Indian dance through its multiplicity of forms and expressions, exploring its complexities of aesthetics, sensibilities, issues and perspectives while celebrating its rich tradition and nurturing exciting new dimensions developing in the Indian, American and global contexts.

The style of dance presented will range from classical Indian dances such as Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi to contemporary choreographies, modern and post-modern works by South Asian dancers and choreographers.

Aroon Shivdasani, Executive Director of the IAAC, says "The IAAC has presented dance since our inception in 1998. We are now working towards our first dance festival and will present original works of emerging as well as established dancers and dance companies.

We have developed education and outreach programs that will bring together dance practitioners, scholars, critics and audiences to discuss various aspects of Indian dance within its various cultural, social and creative contexts."

While there are many performances and festivals organized by individual dance companies, there is no annual festival in the United States that presents Indian dance on a common stage and at a national level. The IAAC seeks to increase awareness about Indian dance within the dance community as well as to develop understanding and appreciation for Indian dance amongst diverse audiences through the Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dance.

The Festival further aims to provide a forum for interaction and dialogue amongst dancers, dance scholars, researchers, writers and critics. It also would provide opportunities for professional development such as production management, financial management, choreography, occupational injuries, etc.

The Festival is comprised of: Two outdoor day-time performances as part of Battery Dance Company's Downtown Dance Festival on August 18-19; and two indoor evening performances on August 20-21. The festival committee includes prominent names in the community such as Aroon Shivdasani, Executive Director, IAAC; Uttara Coorlawala, Dance Scholar and Choreographer; Jonathan Hollander, Executive Director, Battery Dance; Rajika Puri, Odissi Dancer & Theatre Artist; and Prachi Dalal, Dance Festival Director.

"The number of submissions far exceeded our expectations. We received more than 75 submissions from the US, Canada, UK, Singapore, and India. We are in the process of reviewing and finalizing the selections for the festival," said Prachi Dalal, Dance Festival Director.