World Music Institute to Present DANCING THE GODS FESTIVAL
Events will run from Friday - Sunday, May 16-18.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Apr. 18, 2025
WMI's annual Dancing the Gods festival of Indian Dance will mark its 14th and final year, once again showcasing some of the top performers in Indian dance, curated by the festival's founder, Rajika Puri. Each evening's performance will be preceded by a special presentation honoring Rajika and her visionary leadership and dedication to the festival throughout the years. Please join us as we express our immense appreciation to Rajika for her vital contributions to the festival's longstanding success as well as to the broader cultural landscape of New York City.
Night One: Friday, May 16, 2025
Mythili Prakash - Jwala (Rising Flame)
Solo Bharatanatyam with Live Music
Co-presented with Asia Society
725 Park Avenue, Manhattan
Doors: 7 PM | Celebration of Festival Founder Rajika Puri 7:15 PM |
Performance: 8 PM
Tickets: $35 | $45 | $55
This evening's presentation is a re-imagining of Mythili's 2015 original production of Jwala.Mythili Prakash's innovative vision as a choreographer, combined with her powerful conviction as a performer, distinguishes her as one of the most respected young Bharatanatyam artists today. Her work is unique - while rooted in the intricate and nuanced language of Bharatanatyam, it confronts the socio-political global world we live in today. Mythili is incisive in her approach, questioning cultural and social norms, while pushing the boundaries of her practice of the art form, particularly around femininity and aesthetics. Her creative introspections acknowledge and draw fodder from her experiences as a mother and a first-generation child of immigrants, as well as the complexity of her identity as a dancer of caste privilege in India, while simultaneously a female artist of color in the US. Featuring musicians Ananya Ashok (vocals), Rohith Jayaraman (vocals), Rohan Krishnamurthy (percussion), and Sruti Sarathy (violin).
Night Two: Saturday, May 17, 2025
Parul Shah - all that lies
Kathak with Live Music
Co-presented with Asia Society
725 Park Avenue, Manhattan
Doors: 7 PM | Celebration of Festival Founder Rajika Puri - 7:15 PM | Performance: 8 PM
Tickets: $35 | $45 | $55
Internationally acclaimed Kathak dancer and choreographer Parul Shah of the parul shah dance company expands the classical medium beyond cultural boundaries. With a focus on excellence, Shah builds upon the dance form's mythological storytelling roots to share narratives based on her lived experiences. The nucleus of her work as a choreographer and performer has been to disrupt narratives and cultural trappings that undermine the dignity of South Asian women. Shah draws upon the rich tradition of the North Indian classical dance, Kathak, for resistance, artistry, and personal agency. Her work tells stories of women pushing against their boundaries, women who have been forgotten, and women whose labor is often invisible. To tell these stories, she has created a dance language that expands the technique of Indian dance to uproot male-dominated and Eurocentric narratives while forging resiliency and healing. Featuring Jake Charkey (cello), Narendra Budhakar (tabla), Arun Ramamurthy (violin), Priyanka Tope and Narendra Budhakar (vocals); Anjali Tanna, Priyanka Tope, Maithali Patel, and Parul Shah (dancers).Choreography by Parul Shah, Music Direction and Composition by Jake Charkey; Additional Composition by Arun Ramamurthy and Narendra Budhakar.
Night Three: Sunday, May 18, 2025
Bijayini Satpathy - Abhipsaa - A Seeking
Solo Odissi
Co-presented with Asia Society
725 Park Avenue, Manhattan
Doors: 7 PM | Celebration of Festival Founder Rajika Puri 7:15 PM |
Performance: 8 PM
Tickets: $35 | $45 | $55
Bijayini Satpathy, a distinguished master of Odissi on the global stage, has enjoyed a prolific career spanning more than three decades as a highly acclaimed performer, master teacher, and esteemed scholar. In 2019, at the age of 50, Satpathy embarked on a distinctive solo journey to expand the tradition through her choreographic works. The premiere of her debut self-choreography, "Abhipsaa - A Seeking," in 2021 garnered widespread praise for its compelling exploration and reinterpretation of the ancient tradition, propelling Satpathy to the forefront as a choreographer. Commissioned by Duke Performances and Baryshnikov Arts, with support from NEFA's National Dance Project, the New York premiere of "Abhipsaa - A Seeking" was hosted in 2023 by Baryshnikov Arts, preceded by a virtual presentation in 2021 featuring a conversation between Bijayini Satpathy and Mark Morris with an introduction by Mikhail Baryshnikov. She was also invited in 2023 to perform her popular work "Sitaharan" with live music at the 20th edition of Fall for Dance, at New York City Center.
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