Natya

For over three decades, Natya Dance Theatre has been a leader in the Chicago dance community. As ever, our commitment to passing our art to the next generation remains strong. Natya has been recognized and honored nationally for being at the forefront in sustaining the cultural heritage of South Asia. With YOUR help we can continue to present the highest caliber of international artists, create a platform for our dancers, teach Bharata Natyam as community outreach and impart our philosophy through dance.

The range of Natya's activities is wide, and the past year was an especially busy one for us! Highlights include: presenting an inaugural cross-cultural dance festival, Crossing Cultures, in collaboration with some of Chicago's best known contemporary dance companies; being presented at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park where the Company premiered an evening-length work, Divine Equations; the Natya School began offering new classes in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood; and Natya's successful educational outreach program with the Chicago Public Schools continues to build bridges of understanding among children of diverse cultural backgrounds. Truly, we are taking Bharata Natyam"”the dance theater of India "”in new directions and building the audiences of tomorrow.

Looking forward to 2011, Natya will take a major step in its artistic life when The Flowering Tree, created by Hema and Krithika Rajagopalan, receives its world premiere at Chicago's Harris Theater in October. This timeless tale of respect for nature will feature an original score bringing together classical Indian and Jazz music. 

The economic downturn has presented Natya with severe economic challenges. We need your support more than ever before to keep all of our programs alive. By making a gift today, you help insure the strength of our programs for the coming year. Any size gift is appreciated and meaningful. For example:
A $50 donation will help support our rehearsal for The Flowering Tree and cover an upcoming studio rental;
$100 will send a child in need to classes for an entire month so that their development is not limited by their income;
$250 will significantly alleviate our operating costs, to support and efficiently run our school.

With your help in nourishing our cultural roots, we can grow and branch out to share the beauty of our art and culture with our community and the world. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the staff of Natya, I wish you a happy and prosperous holiday season!

Thank you!

Best wishes,

Hema Rajagopalan, Artistic Director
Krithika Rajagopalan, Associate Artistic Director
Bill Jordan, Program Coordinator