2004

Natya artistic director Hema Rajagopalan is one of the choreographers selected to participate in this year’s Chicago Dancemakers Forum. The Forum supports the creation of new work by leading Chicago choreographers, and serves as a setting for ongoing artistic exchange between leading figures in the Chicago dance community.

In August 2003, NDT collaborated with Hedwig Dances and Lou Conte Dance Studio/Hubbard Street Dance on a series of workshops called “The Lyrical Expression Project: Dance with Meaning,” which was made possible by a generous grant from the Governor’s International Arts Exchange Program of the Illinois Arts Council. The goal of this project was to increase the artistic excellence of Chicago-area dancers—both those trained in classical Indian styles and those with ballet, jazz, and modern training. The project brought three master teachers to the United States: Kalanidhi Narayanan, a master of expressional technique; C.V. Chandrasekhar, a master of pure dance movement; and Dominique Delormes, who has undertaken pioneering research on the roots of classical Indian dance.

The first series of workshops was held August 18-22 at the Chicago Cultural Center (where Hedwig Dances is the resident company) and at the Hubbard Street Dance studios, in the West Loop. Mainstream dancers who participated in these workshops acquired movement patterns that will enrich and expand an existing movement vocabulary. They also learned a basic system of hand gestures, facial expressions, and other techniques for communicating emotions. A concluding series of workshops was held in October, in partnership with Hedwig Dances.

The Lyrical Expression workshops culminated in the production of a major new work called Pancha Bhootam (The Five Magic Elements), which was choreographed by C.V. Chandrasekhar and his wife, Jaya. Because it took nature as its subject matter, Pancha Bhootam was accessible to a wide audience. The NDT Company performed Pancha Bhootam on September 12 at the Harold Washington Library Auditorium; and on September 13 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. The production received highly favorable coverage in the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times. Pancha Bhootam is now part of NDT’s touring repertory.

Thanks to all the NDT dancers who make our productions a success!

2002

With support from the Jerome Foundation, Natya Dance Theatre assistant artistic director and principal dancer Krithika Rajagopalan created Dhrashta (The Seer). Dhrashta combines classical Bharata Natyam with movements from the martial arts and yoga, taking the audience on a journey toward balance and inner peace. Dhrashta premiered in June 2002 at the Mulberry Street Theater in New York City, as part of the “Ear to the Ground” choreographer’s series.Hema and Krithika Rajagopalan choreographed an evening length dance theatre "The Magic Ring" based on Kalidasa's Shakunthalam at McAninch Center for Performing Arts. NDT colloborated with the looking glass theatre and the Chicago Chidren's Choir to produce "Sita Ram", a rock opera on the Ramayana at the Ravinia festival, IL

Presented collaboratively by Natya Dance Theatre and hosted by the Dance Center at Columbia College Chicago, “Bharata Natyam in the Diaspora—Spiritual, Classical, Contemporary,” was the first international conference on Bharata Natyam ever to be held in the United States. The conference, which ran for four days, attracted dancers and dance scholars and practitioners from around the world, and included performances by such renowned exponents as Malavika Sarukkai and Chandralekha.