The only major international dance festival of North America devoted to Indian dance with an emphasis on contemporary works, moves into its 6th exciting season and celebrates the dawn of the new millennium by projecting the visions of young dancers and choreographers from Canada, USA, England & India. This five-day event will combine 16 hours of public performances with 14 hours of daytime workshops, demonstration, invited talks, and panel discussion. The festival will feature a 10-day Residency and Master Class in Mohiniattam taught by the visiting Indian artist, Pallavi Krishnan, that will begin earlier and continue till the festival's end. In addition, this exciting event will also involve a prior 10-day choreographic lab involving collaboration between young dancers from Toronto and Birmingham (UK). The festival will feature 81 artists performing four different traditional Indian dance styles and a large number of innovative contemporary works.

For information contact:

Kala Nidhi Fine Arts of Canada
295 Maplehurst Avenue, Toronto, ON, M2N  3C5
www.kalanidhifinearts.org

10:00 am     Mohiniattam Residency- Masterclass (2hrs)
Pallavi Krishnan - Lasya Academy of Mohiniyattam, Kerala, India
   
7:00 pm    Welcome speech
7:15 pm    Traditional Bharatnatyam -- Sukaneya Subramaniam, Toronto
7:40 pm    Muzkura -- Nova Bhattacharya, Toronto
7:55 pm    Variations on Kathak -- Amrapali Ambegaokar, Los Angeles
8:25 pm    Intermission
8:45 pm    Riturang -- Lasya Academy of Mohiniyattam*, Kerala India
9:30 pm    Dance Talk -- Process Revealed -- Nova Bhattacharya, Amrapali Ambegaokar, Pallavi Krishnan

* Young Dancers of the Company will perform

10:00 am     Mohiniattam Residency- Masterclass (2hrs)
Pallavi Krishnan - Lasya Academy of Mohiniyattam, Kerala, India
   
1:00 pm    Welcome & Introductions
2:00 pm    Panel Discussion: Approaches to Choreography - Five Panelists
3:30 pm    Break
4:00 pm    Workshop (1 hr) - Ananya Chatterjea
   
7:00 pm    Traditional Kathak -- Usha Kala Niketan*, Edmonton
7:20 pm    Bharatnatyam Tillana -- Janak Khendry Dance Company*, Toronto
7:35 pm    Untitled -- U.K. & Toronto Collaborative Lab. Production, Birmingham & Toronto
7:55 pm    Intermission
8:15 pm    Enchanted, Seven Hills, Tap Root -- Chhandam Dance Company*, Toronto
8:45 pm    In Search of Shringara, Women of Lost home, Making Rain -- Ananya Chatterjea, Minneapolis
9:30 pm    Dance Talk -- Process Revealed -- Dancers of U.K. - Toronto Collaborative Lab., Joanna de Souza (Das), Ananya Chatterjea

* Young Dancers of the Company will perform

10:00 am     Mohiniattam Residency- Masterclass (2hrs)
Pallavi Krishnan - Lasya Academy of Mohiniyattam, Kerala, India
   
1:00 pm    Talk - Invited speaker to be announced
2:00 pm    Tradition & Creativity - Five Panelists
3:30 pm    Break
4:00 pm    Workshop (1 hr) -- Bhagawatmela Natakam  -- Vijay Madhavan Raghupati, India
   
7:00 pm    Traditional Mohiniyattam -- Lasya Academy of Mohiniyattam*, Kerala   
7:30 pm    Variations on Odissi -- Sumona Roy, Toronto
7:50 pm    Star-TARA -- Gauri Varanase, Toronto
8:05 pm    Intermission
8:25 pm    Rang Phuhar -- Usha Kala Niketan*, Edmonton
8:50 pm    Equals, Black & White in COLOR  -- Hari Krishnan's dancers from inDANCE and Wesleyan University*, Toronto & Connecticut
9:30 pm    Dance Talk -- Process Revealed -- Gauri Varanase, Usha Gupta & Hari Krishnan

* Young Dancers of the Company will perform

10:00 am     Mohiniattam Residency- Masterclass (2hrs)
Pallavi Krishnan - Lasya Academy of Mohiniyattam, Kerala, India
   
1:00 pm    Demonstration -- Kalaripayatu -- Natasha Bakht
2:00 pm    What Does it mean to be an Indian Dancer in North-America - Five Panelists
3:30 pm    Break
4:00 pm    Dance Demonstration (1 hr) -- Mohiniyattam -- Pallavi Krishnan
   
7:00 pm    Traditional Bharatnatyam -- Laxmi Iyenger, Los Angeles
7:25 pm    Obiter Dictum -- Natasha Bakht, Ottawa
7:40 pm    Sadinchene -- Tyagraja Panchkriti -- Sampradaya Dance Creation*, Mississauga
8:05 pm    Touching Home -- Natasha Bakht & Nova Bhattacharya, Ottawa and Toronto
8:25 pm    Intermission
8:45 pm    Love's Folly -- Menaka Thakkar Dance Company*, Toronto
9:30 pm    Dance Talk -- Process Revealed -- Natasha Bakht, Nova Bhattacharya, Lata Pada, Menaka Thakkar

  * Young Dancers of the Company will perform

10:00 am     Mohiniattam Residency- Masterclass (2hrs)
Pallavi Krishnan - Lasya Academy of Mohiniyattam, Kerala, India
   
1:00 pm    La Bayadère --  The Temple Dancer -- Manohar Performing Arts of Canada, Winnipeg
2:15 pm    Intermission
2:40 pm     Omkaar:  An Exploration in Movement and Rhythm - Anuradha Naimpally

3.10    Dancing to the Flute -- Janak Khendry Dance Company*, Toronto
3.30    Dance Talk --  Process Revealed -- Manohar Performing Arts of Canada, Anuradha Naimpally  & Janak Khendry

* Young Dancers of the Company will perform

Ten-day Residency-Master Class in MOHINIATTAM, the most sensuous, but rarely seen, classical dance tradition of Kerala, India. It will be taught by the visiting dancer-choreographer-teacher, PALLAVI KRISHNAN who will specially come with her Indian troupe to perform at the festival.
Date:    February 28 - March 9, 2003
Time :    10.00 am - 12.00 noon
Venue:    TBA
Fee:     $100 full ten day period - $15 single session.
*    Some prior training in any dance tradition is recommended.
*    Registration for the full period is encouraged although attendance for a smaller time period is permissible.
*    Registration will open from February 1, 2003, Early registration is advisable.
*    For registration and additional information: Sudha Khandwani 416-229 0369 or sudha@kalanidhifinearts.org
One of the leading exponents of Mohiniattam, Pallavi Krishnan has also mastered Bharatnatyam, Kathakali and Manipuri, first at Tagore's Santiniketan and then at Kerala Kalamandalam where she studied with several eminent Gurus such as Guru Kalamandalam Sankarnarayanan, Guru Kalamadalam Kshemavathy and Guru Bharati Shivaji. She has also studied Rabindra Sangeet. She was the recipient of a study grant and, later, a production grant from the Department of Culture, Government of India to choreograph Tagore's Rituranga.In 1992, she was selected for the Anupam Puraskat instituted by Vichar-Manch, Calcutta, for exemplary talent in dance. She is the Artistic Director and Managing Trustee of Lasya Academy of Mohiniyattam, Trichur, Kerala.

12 young dancers - 6 from England and 6 from Toronto - with varied backgrounds in Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kuchupudi, Ballet, Western Contemporary and Japanese martial arts, will be thrown together for 10 days in an intensive choreographic collaboration to create a work in fusion choreography. Menaka Thakkar of Toronto and Piali Ray of Birmingham U.K. will act as monitors and provide "third eye" critique and other help when sought by the group.
*    The final product supported by a musical score and a light plot will be presented as a work-in-progress at the Festival.
*    The creative process and rehearsals will be open for silent public viewing in the second week.
For venue, dates and times: Sudha Khandwani 416-229 0369 or sudha@kalanidhifinearts.org 
             Sudha Thakkar Khandwani

                                                                                                Festival Producer, Artistic Director

                                                                                                  &  Dance Curator