World Music Institute To Present DANCING THE GODS FESTIVAL in April

The World Music Institute's annual Dancing the Gods festival celebrates its 12th year, for the first time at the Ailey Citigroup Theater. Audiences will be treated to spectacular performances from two of India's leading dancers. Each program will begin with a pre-show slide presentation titled Epics, Poetry and Indian Dance from festival curator and respected Indian dance expert and storyteller Rajika Puri.

Night One:
Sreelakshmy Govardhanan - 'Sampradaya'
(Solo Kuchipudi with live music)

Friday April 14, 2023

Doors: 6.30 PM | Lecture/ Demonstration by curator Rajika Puri: 7 PM |
Performance: 8 PM

Night Two:
Praveen Kumar 'Sakha'
(solo Bharatanatyam with live music)

Saturday, April 15th, 2023

Doors: 6.30 PM | Lecture/ Demonstration by curator Rajika Puri: 7 PM |
Performance: 8 PM

Born into a family of artists, Praveen Kumar showed an inclination toward dance at a very young age. After beginning his studies with the eminent guru of Bangalore, the late Smt. Narmada, he learned to appreciate the aesthetic depths of Bharatanatyam and decided to dedicate himself to the ancient dance form. He now trains under the celebrated Guru Prof. C.V.Chandrasekhar and runs the Chithkala School of Dance in Bangalore. In this solo recital, he will explore a man's journey as a companion, an admirer, and a friend through various facets of life. The performance will be accompanied by musicians who will provide the exquisite feel of South Indian traditional music.

Sreelakshmy Govardhanan is a renowned creative dancer, choreographer and teacher of Kuchipudi. She is the founder and Artistic Director of the Avantika Space for Dance, a center for learning, performance and research, as well as a trained psychologist who utilizes this professional perspective to bring a difference to her art, as well as to young minds in need. Her dance activity includes workshops, classes, seminars and lecture demonstrations. In this solo performance set to live music, she will explore the Nritta, Nrutya and Natya elements of Kuchipudi through a repertoire set in the format of Margam (performance set in a traditional format). Kuchipudi is a dance form rooted in the theatrical and dance traditions of Andhra Pradesh, named for the village - also known as Kuchelapuram - where it originated. Traditionally it was performed by troupes of male actor-dancers who presented full-length plays, often lasting all night, to celebrate festivals dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Alongside this tradition developed a solo form, which is today popular around the world.

About Festival Curator Rajika Puri:

Rajika Puri performed internationally in solo recitals of Bharatanatyam and Odissi for several years, before she was launched into western theatre by Julie Taymor in Lincoln Center Theater's "The Transposed Heads". The success of that role encouraged her to develop a form of danced storytelling she calls 'Sutradhari Natyam' in which she intersperses an English narration with excerpts from dances, spoken rhythms and chants as well as songs in Indian languages. In her full-length work: 'Eleni of Sparta' or 'Helen of Troy', she even sings in ancient Greek. Rajika has performed all over Latin America, Europe, Malaysia, the US and India, and in New York at the Asia Society and Ailey Theaters.

About World Music Institute:

Founded in 1985 as a not-for-profit, World Music Institute (WMI) has served as one of the leading presenters of world music and dance within the United States. WMI is committed to presenting the best in traditional and contemporary music and dance from around the world with the goal of inspiring wonder for the world's rich cultural traditions, promoting awareness and appreciation and encouraging cross-cultural dialog and exchange. WMI presents at venues throughout the city and depends on both public and private funding to accomplish its mission.

The program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.