Schedule

Full Schedule of 15^th American Natya Festival; Natya Kala Conference; Natya Idol Competition

At

Clayton High School Auditorium, 1 Mark Twain Circle, Saint Louis, MO 63105

DAY 1

FRIDAY - 4/26/2024

11:00 am - 1:00 pm

AMERICAN NATYA IDOL - other cities Regionals

Clayton High School - Main Theater

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Evening Natya Dance Festival - 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM 

6:00 PM - 9:30 PM - Dance Festival - Tickets needed

Inauguration of Festival Friday, April 26, 2024 - 6:00 PM

Vocal by Sapthaka Upadhya - Mudakaratha
Dance Vandana Trayee - By all Students of Soorya Dance Company

Nisha Maguluru / Andhra Natyam - Director - Radhanika, St. Louis, MO - 6:15 PM
Sapna Bhat / Bharathanatyam - Director - Upasana / Dallas, Texas - 6:45 PM
Dinner Break 7:15 PM
Prathibha Prahlad / Bharatanatyam - Celebrated Indian danseuse & Cultural Icon from India. Padmashri & Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee - 8:00 PM
Dr. Padmini Shreedhar / Bharatnatyam - Director - Nritya Gaana Academy for Performing Arts, Bengaluru, India - 8:45 PM

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DAY 2

SATURDAY - 4/27/2024

MORNING - CONFERENCE Sessions

Saturday 27th April - 10:00 AM

Vocal by Preethika
Pushpanjali dance and Gajamukhane by Soorya Dance Company

Session 1: Foot Prints of Heritage - Celebrating Cultural Legacy of Indian Dance in USA

Dr. Maya Chadda -  From Exotic to Ethic, Dancing in the Diaspora
Asha Gopal - Dance traditions of East in the Western USA
Asha Acharya - A cultural phenomenon in USA
Hema Rajagopalan - Indian Classical Dance and Main Stream American audience
Moderator Dr. Padmini Shreedhar

Session 2: Saturday 27th April - 11:30 AM - Young Dancer's Challenges in USA

Deepti Naville -  Establishing Dance schools.
Shambhavi Dandekar - Riyaz in the context of American lifestyle
Samanvita Kasthuri - Dancing after Arangetram
Aparna Tara - Challenges for independent dancer
Moderator - Dr. Sumithra & Prasanna Kasthuri

American Natya Idol - FINALS

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM on Saturday

For Intermediate, Advanced, Senior Groups

Vocal by Priyanka & Aditi - Pillangoviya - Followed by Dance Competition

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Evening Natya Dance Festival - 5:00 PM

Vocal by Siya Girivaru - Velane - 5:00
Ananda Nartana Ganapathi - Seniors Soorya Dance Company  - 5:10 PM
Rukmini Kalyanam / Dance Drama - Choreography: Deepthi Mukund, Natya Bhoomi, Washington DC - 5:30 PM
Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony - Awarded to Guru Asha Gopal - 6:30 PM
Dinner Break - 7:00 PM
Defeat of Death - Dance  Drama - Choreography - Prasanna Kasthuri - Inspired by Aurobindo's Savithri - 7:30 PM
Shakti Chakra - Iconic Dance Drama - Choreography - Hema Rajagopalan -  Natya Dance Theater - 8:30 PM

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DAY 3

SUNDAY - 4/28/2024

Natya Idol - 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM - for Junior, Adults, Junior Groups

Vocal by Kruthi & Pushpa manasa bhajare - Followed by Dance Competition

Natya Kala Conference  - CHANGE OF TIME DUE TO ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUE WITH NATYA IDOL. conference starts at 11 AM instead of 10 AM. Also the duration is reduced to 1 hour

Session 3: 11:00 AM - Movement and Mime in Indian and American Art forms

Dr. Alice Bloch - Modern American Movement
Dr. Padmini Sridhar - Mysore Style of Bharatanatyam
Prasanna Kasthuri - Adaptations of movements for non-Indian themes
Maya Chadda - Observations of movements since 1970s

Session 4: 12:00 PM - Story telling - a contribution of Indian dance Styles.

Pratibha Prahlad -  Abhinaya and Story telling
Smitha Rajan - Story telling in Mohini Attam
Danette House  - Stories from Ozark - A knot of Blue and Grey
Dr. Christine Knoblauch-O'Neal  - Story telling in Ballet.

Festival Keynote Speaker Padmashri Pratibha Prahlad A scholarly remark on the conference

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Afternoon Natya Dance Festival - 2:00 PM 

Jhalak - Short Kathak Performance - Soorya Kathak School Dance , St. Louis, MO - 2:00 PM

Shambhavi Dandekar - Group Kathak Dance - SISK Dance Ensemble, Sunnyvale, California - 2:15 PM
Students of Asha Gopal - Bharathanatyam - Arathi School, Phoenix, Arizona - 3:05 PM
Samkshiptha - Ramayana - Dance Drama - Choreography: Asha Adiga, Director, Acharya Dance Academy, Chicago, Illinois - 3:30 PM
COFFEE BREAK  - 4:15 PM

Bhama Kalapam - Andhra Natyam Prabhadam - Performed by Archana Upakama and Students, Upasana School, St. Louis, MO Sunday - 4:30 PM

Finale dances by Soorya Kathak Dance School - 5:15 PM