Yollay - Drive East 2019

Bijayini Satpathy
Dance
Globally acclaimed for her skill as an Odissi dancer and Teacher, Bijayini is one of the most recognizable names in dance today. She has performed alone, and with the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble, all over the world and has received national and international recognition including the 2003 Mahari Award, the Sanskriti award in 2007 and Sangeet Natak Akademis Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar 2007. In 2011 she received the prestigious Nritya Choodamani from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai. Bijayini Satpathys passion for Odishi was instilled as early as Kindergarten, at her school, The Institute of Integral Education. Her early training was under various teachers at Orissa Dance Academy founded by the Late Guru Gangadhar Pradhan. She joined Nrityagram in 1993 after being selected in an audition by the late Founder of Nrityagram Smt. Protima Gauri and the legendary Odishi Dancer Smt Sanjukta Panigrahi. She has worked with Nrityagram in the capacity of a performer, teacher, research scholar and administrator until 2018. As Nrityagrams Director of Training and Outreach for twenty years, Bijayini helped build it to be among the most acclaimed and sought after schools in Odishi.

HIDAYAT KHAN
Music
A direct descendant and proponent of one of the most treasured lineages of eastern classical music, sitarist Hidayat Husain Khan was destined for stardom. Youngest son of the legendary Ustad Vilayat Khan, globally acclaimed as the greatest of all sitarists, Hidayat Husain Khan harbors a rare, creative brilliance that effortlessly takes him across all genres and nuances of music. A charming transition from the very classical to the very colloquial, from playing the intricate Etawa Gharana to performing with the Rolling Stones. An exquisite sitar player and vocalist well-versed in the Gayaki ang, a unique rendition where voice blends with the instrument, Hidayat Husain Khan carries the torch of a coveted lineage spanning seven generations of outstanding vocal and instrumental court musicians. Hidayat Husain Khan has lent his versatility in several film score compositions and has performed in numerous classical and fusion concerts, independently and in collaboration with such illustrious musical names as, Ndugu Chancler, Ronnie Woods, Alicia Keys, Usher, Zakir Hussain, Pete Townshend, Will.I.Am, Jay Z and Darryl Jones. Invited from all over the world Hidayat Husain Khan has enthralled audiences in major performances in Europe, Japan, USA, Malaysia, Canada, Singapore, and India. He has performed in such prestigious venues as Royal Albert Hall in London, Kennedy Center in Washington D.C, Carnegie Hall and Alicetuly Hall in New York.

Sahasra Sambamoorthi
Dance
Sahasra Sambamoorthi is currently co-president at Navatman. She learned Bharatanatyam under Guru Smt Kalaimamani Ramya Ramnarayan and is the recipient of various awards including the NJSCA Folk Arts Apprenticeship. Following her graduation from Columbia University and learning much from the semi-classical troupe there Taal, she created Navatman Dance in an attempt to explore the boundaries of Bharatanatyam. Currently, she is learning Kathak from Ramya Agrawal and has taken continues to work in odissi with Bijayini Satpathy, Surupa Sen, and Pavitra Bhatt (Nrityagram) and Kuchipudi with Kishore Mosalikanti.

Rasika Kumar
Dance
Rasika Kumar is a Bharatanatyam performer and choreographer, steeped in tradition but with contemporary sensibilities. She is currently the Associate Artistic Director of the Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose (ADC), having studied under her mother Mythili Kumar, Artistic Director of ADC, and other renowned teachers. Since 2005, Rasika has been a soloist, principal dancer, and choreographer for all of ADCs performance seasons. Her choreography has been featured in the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival and SF WestWave Festival and has earned her an Arts Council of Silicon Valley Performing Arts Fellowship (2008). Rasikas collaborative rhythmic arrangement with Franco Imperial of San Jose Taiko garnered an Isadora Duncan Award in the Music category (2011). Last year, she won the Lakshmi Viswanathan Award from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha (Chennai, India) for her solo performance in the 2014 season.

Nadhi Thekkek
Dance
Nadhi studied Bharatanatyam under Smt. Sundara Swaminathan, Artistic Director of Kala Vandana Dance Company. She also spent six years under the guidance of teacher and mentor Smt. Padmini Chari, Director of Nritya School of Dance, and is currently under the guidance of Sri A. Lakshmanaswamy of Nrityalakshana (Chennai) and returns to India regularly for training and performance.

Deepak Ram
Music
Deepak Ram is a versatile artist who is well known for his evocative performances in traditional North Indian (Hindustani) classical music, his collaborations with musicians of other genres, his innovative compositions and for his excellence as a teacher. Deepak's first love is north Indian classical music. Indeed, he is an accomplished soloist. He is a delightful and captivating performer, combining technical mastery with personal charm. He has performed in the United States of America (where he is currently based), South Africa, India, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Austria, Germany, Lebanon, Turkey, Taiwan and Holland and had the honor of accompanying his teacher, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, in Geneva, London and Paris. Deepak began his formal training in bansuri and tabla under Sri Jeram Bhana in South Africa in 1975. Two years later he was off to Mumbai, India, to study flute under the late Sri Suryakant Limaye (India's master flute maker); he simultaneously spent a short time under flautist, Pandit Vijay Raghav Rao. It was in 1981 that his dream was realized when he became the disciple of the celebrated flautist, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, with whom he continues to study from time to time. During this period he also studied tabla under Sri Yashwant Padhye and music theory and voice under Pandit Rajaram Shukla. Deepak earned a Masters degree in Music (MMus) from Rhodes University, South Africa, in 1996 for his thesis, Exploring Syncretism Between Indian and Western Music Through Composition. Deepak's versatility is apparent in his numerous collaborations with musicians of various genres. These include performances with jazz pianists Darius Brubeck and Bheki Mseleku, Tunisian oud player and vocalist Dhafer Yousseff and the popular South African band Tananas. On January 1, 2000, Deepak performed with South African musicians like Sibongile Khumalo and the Rwandan diva, Cecile, on Robben Island in South Africa's Millennium Concert hosted by presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki. Deepak has 9 solo albums to his credit and as a session musician can be heard on over 60 albums. His bansuri can also be heard on movie soundtracks, such as The Fast And The Furious, Matrix Revolutions, India, Kingdom of the Tiger, Stealth and Before The Rains. In 2000, Deepak was awarded Best Instrumental Album at the South African Music Awards for his album Searching for Satyam. His previous album Flute for Thought also saw him being nominated for Best Male Artist and Best Instrumental Album in the 1999 South African Music Awards. Both these albums as well as Beauty in Diversity feature Deepak's compositions and arrangements based on elements of north Indian music. In 2008, The Board of Directors of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce in California selected Deepak Ram for the 2007 Award of Outstanding Contribution to Arts and Humanities. Previous recipients of this award include Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri. Deepak's knowledge of both Indian and western traditions is evident in his compositions which range from pieces for jazz groups, western flute quartets (flute, violin, viola and cello), choral works and ballets to orchestral pieces. His last work 'SURYA' for classical guitar and bansuri, commissioned by the award-winning guitarist Mesut zgen was premiered at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Deepak is currently working on music for bansuri and string quartet. One of Deepak's fortes is his ability to communicate his knowledge, making him an excellent teacher. Most recently, he served as visiting professor in Indian Music at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He lectured full time for four years at the University of Durban-Westville, South Africa, and has conducted many workshops in Indian music in the USA, United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. He also has several publications to his credit, including an instruction booklet, Harmonium Made Easy.

Vidhya Subramanian
Dance
An eternal devotee of Bharatanatyam, Vidhya Subramanian is known for her refined elegance and "the total internalization of emotive energy". Her choreography combines great discipline, knowledge of space and time, exquisite control and total immersion in her subject. Favored by "an entrancing stage presence", she recognizes the immensity of a stage, the worldview it offers her and the power of transformation that she could effect. Lauded thus, "Her dance was a powerful and sustained love-pact between the dancer and her material", Vidhya is able to delve deep and introspect to perform breathtaking representations of conceptual themes. Trained in the Vazhuvoor style by eminent Gurus S.K. Rajarathnam and abhinaya exponent Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan, Vidhya's performances have stood out as a beacon to discerning audiences. The New York Times honors her with the words, "...her portrayal of the love between Radha and Krishna had the internal glow of felt emotion" while the Times of India commends, "The rich grace in 'adavus' and striking sense of the aesthetic made her recital memorable." As a teacher and artistic director, her intense involvement has been the reason for the evolution of many students and ensemble works. With a Masters degree in theater arts, she has been involved in theatre and film as another creative outlet to her immense talent. "Within seconds of her entering the stage, she convinced the connoisseur that her talent belongs to the uncommon category. She went through the highly stylized movements of Bharatanatyam with a delicate touch of artistry that made them all look easy and natural." The Hindu "It seemed as if an Apsara had descended from the heavens and brought down with her the magnificence of Bharatanatyam from the gods to the delight of humans. "- Nation, Nairobi

Rohan Krishnamurthy
Music
Acclaimed an international mridangam performer by USA Today and pride of India by India's leading newspaper, The Times of India, Dr. Rohan Krishnamurthy is considered a musical ambassador. Having initially received mridangam training with Damodaran Srinivasan over the telephone in the U.S., he continued advanced training from maestro, Guruvayur Dorai, in India. Rohan has performed hundreds of concerts internationally since the age of nine as a distinguished soloist and collaborator in diverse music and dance ensembles. His prodigious, cross-genre artistry draws from his formal study of Indian classical music, at once propagating the ancient tradition and expanding it in new artistic directions. Rohan has shared the stage with the leading artists of Indian classical music, including M. Balamuralikrishna, T.N. Krishnan, N. Ramani, R. K. Srikantan, T.N. Seshagopalan, Chitravina N. Ravikiran, S. Shashank, T. M. Krishna, O.S. Thyagarajan, and Ranjani and Gayatri. Having intensely studied many styles of music, he has also spearheaded new cross-musical collaborations with eminent symphony orchestras, jazz ensembles, and musicians including Grammy Award-winners Glen Velez and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Anoushka Shankar, Jamey Haddad, and Ayano Ninomiya. He recently premiered Rohan, a novel concerto for South Indian percussion and Western percussion ensemble written specially for him by distinguished composer and percussionist, Dr. Payton Macdonald. The concerto was premiered on both coasts at The Juilliard School in New York City and San Francisco Conservatory of Music in San Francisco. A highly-acclaimed educator, Rohan has presented Indian percussion institutes and summer camps, clinics, workshops, and master classes, and academic courses at world-renowned institutions, including the Eastman School of Music, Harvard University, MIT, Berklee College of Music, Duke, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Sam Houston State University, Western Michigan University, University of Madras (India), A.R. Rehmans K.M. Conservatory of Music (India), Society for Ethnomusicology, Percussive Arts Society International Convention, Interlochen Arts Academy, and National Institute of Design (India). He directs the award-winning RohanRhythm Percussion Studio, both in-person and online, which has attracted dozens of students of all ages from around the globe. Rohan is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including USA Todays All-College Academic Second Team, Young Artist of India by Bharat Kalachar (India), Thomas Siwe Scholarship from the Percussive Arts Society, and Prodigy in Performing Arts by the Indo-American Center in New York City. He was named an IndianRaga Fellow in 2013. An innovator, Rohan designed a new drumhead tuning system that won him first place in Eastmans New Venture Challenge entrepreneurship competition. His work resulted in a publication in the premier music journal, Percussive Notes. Rohan conducted acoustical research on his new design and has been regularly invited to present his work at the Acoustical Society of Americas international conferences, where he twice received the Best Student Paper award. Rohan also received a patent for his invention. Committed to community service and outreach, Rohan has conducted and organized concerts and workshops since 1998 at prominent centers, including Chinmaya Mission, The Banyan (India), Sankara Nethralaya, Sankara Eye Foundation, Lakeside Treatment and Learning Center, Kalamazoo Unitarian Church, Indo-American Cultural Center and Temple, Kalamazoo Juvenile Center, Washington Square Retirement Home, University of Rochester, and the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival, the largest Indian music festival outside of India. Rohans multifaceted accomplishments as a performer, composer, educator, researcher, and entrepreneur earned him a one-on-one meeting and performance for the President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam, at the presidential office and estate in New Delhi. A native of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and based out of San Francisco, Rohan obtained bachelors degrees in music and chemistry from Kalamazoo College as a Heyl Foundation Scholar, and Masters degrees in musicology and ethnomusicology from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. He earned a Ph.D. in musicology at Eastman as a Provost Fellow, where he founded and directed a popular Indian percussion ensemble and summer institutes.

Bala Skandan
Music
Bala Skandan is a performer, educator and composer of Carnatic music. He performs both on the Mridangam (double-headed drum) and violin (Carnatic style). He also highlights the beauty of Kanjira (frame drum) and konnakkol (vocal rhythm) in his compositions as well as in performances. He is the lead artist and composer of Akshara Music Ensemble, a NY based Indian-classical music inspired band. Bala Skandan lives in Manhattan and teaches actively. Bala Skandan started his music training at the age of 6 in both Mridangam and Violin; He received training from the legends of Carnatic music Guru Karaikudi Mani on Mridangam and Vidushi T Rukmini on Violin. Noted for his superb musical accompaniment by the NY Times, Bala Skandan has accompanied established international musicians and dancers and has performed in prestigious venues in Chennai, Europe and North America throughout his musical career. He is the lead musician and composer for Akshara, an Indian percussion ensemble based in NY. In 2007/08 Balaskandan had the distinction of teaching and conducting the first Carnatic student recital at the prestigious Juilliard School of music.

Pt Binay Pathak
Music
Pandit Binay Pathak, son of late Pandit Balram Pathak, legendary Indian sitarist, teaches the style of his gharana whose music has been instilled from teacher to student continuously for over 500 years. Hes a classical artist with All India Radio and Television, has performed at prestigious music festivals: Dover Lane & Tansen Music Conference with artists such as Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Kishori Amonkar, Ustad Alla Rakha and Zakir Hussain and is awarded Surmani.

Prasant Radhakrishnan
Music
Prasant Radhakrishnanis a versatile saxophonist steeped in both South Indian Classical (Carnatic) and jazz disciplines. The unique vocal texture of his sound on saxophone, noted for its expressive complexity and rhythmic ingenuity, reflects Prasants continued study of tradition, constant innovation, and vast concert experience over the past fifteen years.

Ashrita Keshav
Dance
Ashrita discovered a passion for Kuchipudi under Guru Kishore Mosalikanti, that propelled her to master the art in a short time, thanks to her zeal and zest to bring out her latent talent. She is now showing the divinity in her dance which was prophesied by Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda, in His own handwriting, even while she was still an infant. Blessed with a dynamic grand-parent and supportive parents. Ashrita hopes to continue her voyage of self-discovery through dance as a passion and service of children through her profession. Ashrita Keshav is a state ranker in Class 12 in psychology, is a post graduate of counselling psychology. About My Gurus Jaikishore Mosalikanti is a disciple of Padma Bhushan Guru Dr Vempati Chinna Satyam. He is an accomplished dancer with a perceptive understanding of the subtlest nuances, having mastered the most advanced pieces of the Kuchipudi repertoire while learning and teaching at the Kuchipudi Art Academy for more than two decades His performances in India and in the Unites States, have received high critical acclaim for his distinct technical perfection, incomparable flexibility and complete transformation of the character being portrayed. As a teacher, his choreographic skills seek to enhance the beauty of the art form, through an uncompromising insistence on fform and technique. Without digessing from the tradition he has established his own unique style with innovative use of intricate rhythmic patterns. His depth of knowledge and innate mastery revealed in several of his solo pieces, thematic presentations and dance dramas. He has been conferred the titles 'Natya Vishaarada' by his Guru and 'Yuva Kala Vipanchee' by Dr M Balamurali Krishna. Vani Mosalikanti, wife and disciple of Sri Kishore, had her initial training in Kuchipudi under Sri MSR Murthy at Kuchipudi Kalakendra, Mumbai and has performed all over India. She has won accolades for her portrayal of Sathya Bhama in the dance Sri Krishna Parijatham. Since her marriage in 2002, she has been an intrinsic part of husband's ensemble and lent him active by performing, teaching and wielding the cymbals, under his able guidance. Her dream is to partner her husband in his mission to revive Kuchipudi as a preferred art form of the younger generation, while embossing it's true form beyond the confines of ancient tradition.

Sri Thina Subramaniam
Dance
Sri Thina Subramaniam is a captivating performer who has won the hearts of audiences around the nation. After studying dance, Sri Thinahas worked tirelessly to develop a unique style and technique, as well as to collaborate on various projects with artists from around the country. She hasbeen fortunate to work with innovative performers in the field and is constantly on the search for new and exciting opportunities. If youd like to learn more about the inspiration, style & work that drives Sri Thinato succeed, get in touch to learn more.

Swati Sinha
Dance
Swati Sinha is one of the foremost practitioners of Kathak today.Having learnt the nuances of the Jaipur style of Kathak from the great master Pt Rajendra Gangani at the Kathak Kendra New Delhi, she has committed herself to practicing and propagating the art form. She has performed widely all over the globe and her performances have always been excellent. A bright and vivacious artiste she has gained praise and appreciation from connoisseurs and critics. Sharp yet graceful movements combined with command over deft and intricate rhythm patterns, lithe footwork and subtle, poignant expressions, mark her style. The right blend of taalim and upaj i.e; the practiced aspect and improvisational aspect, find a place in her recital. Her creative streak nudged her to present choreographed thematic presentations such as Anvarat, based on the cosmic cycle. Chand Pravah, based on the grammer defined in Natyashastra; of love nature and devotion based on the poetry of Guru Rabindranath Tagore. All her productions aim to keep the sanctity of the style intact. A complete artiste is the one who understands and accepts the responsibility of carrying a tradition forward. A firm believer in the Guru Shishya Parampara she not only teaches in her institute in Gurgaon but also travels to rural areas in India and many cities in Europe to propagate and spread the art of Kathak far and wide. Carrying the mantle of a tradition forward as a performer, choreographer and Guru is indeed a daunting task: but she does it all with elan. For her contribution she has been awarded the Women achievers award by the Women International Network and Vishwa Manav Jagran Manch.

Sanhita Nandi
Music
Sanhita Nandi has performed all over the world at premier classical music festivals and concerts. Her virtuosity has been greatly appreciated by Indian audiences at the Tansen Sangeet Samaroha in Gwalior, Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Sammelan in Pune , Annual Saptak Sangeet Sammelan in Ahmedabad, The Shree Baba Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan in Jalandhar, Laxmi Narayan Sangeet Samaroha in Amritsar, National Music Festival in Dharwad (memory of Dr. Mallikarjun Mansur), Yashwant Rao Chauhan Smriti Sangeet Samaroha in Maharashtra, Tabla Nawaz Ustad Shaik Dawood Trust in Hyderabad, Ustad Rahmat Khan Sangeet Sammelan in Dharwad, Glimpses of Kirana Gharana Music festival in Hyderabad, Samrat Sangeet Sammelan in Goa, Parampara Music Festival in Chennai, Gururao Deshpande Sangeet Sabha in Bangalore and others.

Sruti Sarathy
Music
Sruti Sarathy is a versatile artist in the South Indian classical violin tradition. She is trained in the Lalgudi style of Carnatic violin under the esteemed guru, Smt. Anuradha Sridhar, Director of Trinity Center for Music in the Bay Area. Sruti is also a student of Hindustani music under the tutelage of Vid. Kala Ramnath and receives advanced training in layam (rhythm aspects) from renowned mridangam artist Mannargudi Sri. Easwaran. Sruti has performed with leading Indian classical musicians, such as Sangita Kalanidhi Chitravina Sri N. Ravikiran, Sri Neyveli Santhanagopalan and Dr. Vijayalakshmi Subramaniam. Sruti has been featured in several prestigious venues and festivals across the world, including the San Francisco and Chicago World Music Festivals, Music Academy (Chennai), Shanmukhananda Sabha (Mumbai), Chowdiah Hall (Bangalore), the American Folk Festival (Bangor), the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, the International Arts Festival (London), the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA), the Indian Embassy in Paris, and the American Consulate in Chennai. Blessed with a sweet voice and having trained for over ten years in vocal music, Sruti often lends her voice and violin to collaborative projects and jugalbandhis. In 2018, she composed and sang the music for "Krishna!," a Bharatanatyam fundraiser for Chinmaya Mission directed and choreographed by Smt. Kanchana Venkat of Isha Dance Company. Sruti also recently composed and performed the original score for "GRID," a percussive dance theater work (featured in the San Francisco World Percussive Arts festival) directed by Bruce Mui-Ghent that reflects on the complexities of immigration. Sruti is the recipient of many accolades. She was awarded the titles Parivadini Pratibha by Parivadini in 2017 and Yuva Pratibha by Naadharpana in 2016. She won the Best Violinist award at both the Parthasarathy Swami Sabha (2014) and the Spirit of Youth Festival conducted by the Madras Music Academy (2012). In 2016, Sruti was granted the Fulbright Scholarship by the U.S. Department of State to perform and research cross-genre violin technique in Carnatic Music. She is a graduate of Stanford University and holds a Bachelors Degree in Mathematics and Masters Degree in French Literature.

Nirupama Rajendra
Dance
Nirupama and Rajendra, a dynamic and spellbinding dancing couple from Bangalore-India have over the years created a wave of excitement on the Indian dance scene. With their own wordwide successful dance company Abhinava Dance Company firmly established as one of Indias most popular and cutting-edge, the duo have been credited with injecting a great deal of innovation, creativity, enthusiasm and imagination to Kathak.They are dancers, choreographers, teachers and artistic directors for Abhinava and are committed to furthering Indian dance excellence. They have nurtured their skills in Kathak & Choreography under eminent Gurus & acclaimed choreographers like Doctor. Maya Rao & Padmabhushan Kumudini Lakhia & Pundit Arjun Misra from India & Nahid Siddiqui from Pakistan.Nirupama is a serious pursuer of Bharathanatyam having trained under Late Guru Smt.Narmada.She has also undergone training in Abhinaya under Guru Kalanidhi Narayan & intensive study of Natya Sastra vocabularies under Mrs.Sundari Santhanam-a senior disciple of Dr.Padma Subramaniam. Nirupama & Rajendra are the founder Directors of Abhinava Dance Company, Bangalore- a Kaleidoscopic personality aimed towards dancing excellence.

Seibi Lee
Dance
Seibi Lee has emerged as a dynamic solo Kathak artist and is known for the great range and depth of her artistry: strength in technique, sophistication in musicality and depth in dramatic character interpretation. She is a leading disciple of the legendary Kathak master Pandit Chitresh Das. Ms. Lee embodies the intensity of his training in Kathak and has evolved to create a unique and compelling expression of this classical art form. She began touring nationally and internationally with the acclaimed Chitresh Das Dance Company in 2003 and is senior instructor at Chhandam School of Kathak. In 2013, Ms. Lee created and premiered the enchanting solo work Houyi and Change, based on a beloved Chinese myth told in traditional Kathak style. She has earned great respect for her dramatic roles of the demon Marich and the beloved monkey prince Hanuman in Dass critically-acclaimed, Sita Haran and most recently the formidable character of the Guru in Dass powerful premiere of Shiva. She has been invited to reprise this formidable role at the internationally renowned Zellerbach Theatre in 2016. In 2004, she was a finalist in the Isadora Duncan Dance Award nominations for best Company Performance in Pancha Jati. In 2008, she was nominated for best Company Performance in Shabd. In 2012, Seibi was awarded a grant from the Walter and Elise Haas Fund to support the creation of a new solo choreography and was Performing Artist in Residence at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center 2012-2014. View Seibis Highlight Video.

Sonali Skandan
Dance
Sonali is a passionate and accomplished disciple of Bharatanatyam and one of the emerging artists of the younger generation based outside of India. She is a student of the renowned Professor C.V. Chandrasekhar of Chennai, India. and also receives training from Smt. Bragha Bessell, known for the art of abhinaya (expression). Sonali's initial training was under Smt Thejeswini Raj. Noted for her clear and clean technique as well as eloquent abhinaya, Sonali has presented solo and group Bharatanatyam at major dance festivals and venues in the US and abroad, including the United Nations, Toronto International Dance Festival, the Downtown Dance Festival in NYC, the DanceNow Festival in NYC, the Asian American Dance Festival in San Francisco, CA and the Chennai Music and Dance Festival and Natyanjali Festivals in India. Sonali is the Artistic Director of Jiva Performing Arts, based in NYC, where she teaches and creates engaging music and dance productions to increase the accessibility of the classical arts to all audiences. She is also the Director of Sonali Skandan & Jiva Dance, a professional dance company presenting exciting and compelling works based on the Bharatanatyam idiom. The company has presented concerts in prestigious venues to great critical and audience acclaim. She has also been the recipient of two Lower Manhattan Cultural Council awards. Sonali has been the artistic director for several productions including 'Urban Kutcheri', which premiered at Joyce/SoHo in June 2006 and CMAC (2007) and 'Bharatanatyam Margam' which was held at the Lighthouse Theatre in June 2004 and most recently, 'Swarupa:Infinite Form' which premiered at the 2011 NYC International Fringe Festival to much critical acclaim. She was commissioned by Sruti in Pennsylvania to choreograph 'Trimurti-Bharatanatyam Odissi and Kathak' for their 25th year anniversary celebrations in 2011. As an educator, she has given lecture demonstrations and workshops in museums and schools throughout the NYC area and is a Teaching Artist for Young Audiences New York. Sonali is also on the dance faculty at Sarah Lawrence College and holds a Masters degree in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She uses her experience in teaching to develop engaging and enriching lecture demonstrations and workshops for professional dancers, students and teachers. Sonali's passion for Bharatanatyam stems from its spirituality, its intricate beauty and grace. Sonali's work reflects a high-level quality and dedication to the pure art form. By combining her devotion to the dance with her western upbringing, Sonali hopes to bridge the cultural boundaries and present Bharatanatyam in a clear and enlightening manner.

Maya Kulkarni
Dance
A leading exponent of Bharata Natyam, studied dance under illustrious Gurus, Dandayuthpani Pillai, Kittappa Pillai and Jayalaxmi Alva. SHe has performed extensively in the United States and India to great critical acclaim, and she produced and choreographed two full-length ballets, Shakuntala & Kumar Sambhavarn. Described by The New York Times as "the dancer's dancer", Maya has performed at Carnegie Hall, Town Hall, Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, The Cubiculo, The Open Eye, The United Nations Human Rights Celebrations, and the Danny Kaye Theater in New York City. IN addition to mastery over the vast traditional repertoire of her gurus, Maya frequently choreographs her own dance items. The four Bharata Natyam pieces in this evening's presentation are Maya's own creation.

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