Previous Articles

Baharatanatyam Night in Germany

Discover the Origin of Indian Dance – organized by The Indian Embassy in Berlin

June 15th, 2017
Alessia Salzano, News from Berlin
20170615_as_baharatanatyam-night-in-germany.jpg

The Indian Embassy in Berlin is organizing a cycle of events centered on traditional Indian dance. The show, scheduled for Thursday 15 June at 18:00, will feature Bala Devi Chandrashekar, a renowned dancer and artistic director of Shree Padma Nrityam Academy of performing Arts at Princeton, New Jersey.

This famous school serves as a major hub for cultural preservation, presentation and exchange of ideas for South Asian Performing Arts with a primary focus on Indian classical dance. What is even more remarkable about the institution is the fact that it adopts a method which tries constantly to go beyond the conventional borders of Indian dance.

In fact, despite having been trained by the most expert Gurus in the field, Bala Devi has developed her own dancing technique, using a multidisciplinary approach which includes lecturing and research. She has performed in many prestigious venues in North America, Europe and the Middle East. Besides, she has taught courses at Columbia University, Vassar College, the University of Pennsylvania and Rider University. Her future tours will see her on the stage of the major European cities, including Prague, Budapest and Madrid.

In addition, Bala has been awarded several recognitions for his exceptional work. Among these, it is worth noting some prestigious grants that were given to her by the New Jersey State Arts Council, the Texas Commission on the Arts, Ohio Arts Council Apprenticeship Grant and numerous others.

The Baharatanatyam at the Indian Embassy in Berlin will therefore be a precious occasion to experience the performance of this extremely talented artist. Bala’s mission is without doubt to raise  awareness of the rich history of its country with respect to dance and its religious and spiritual significance. In order to achieve this purpose, the Indian dancer is continuing to collaborate with institutions, embassies and universities. The ultimate goal is to also strengthen inter-cultural partnerships with artists from other backgrounds as well as be a source of inspiration for all the people interested in the Indian culture.

References:

News from Berlin