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Geeva Arts Festival
The Indian classical dance and music festival of Louisville KY
SCHEDULE
Friday July 12th, 2024 6:00 pm
FREE EVENT
At the Hindu Temple of Kentucky
4213 Accomack Dr. Louisville, Kentucky 40241
Vocal concert by Pusthakam Ramaa
(Bangalore, India)
Dance concert by Padmapriya Viswakumar & Sanjna Pathak
(Louisville, KY)
"Two Gems of Thyagaraja" Concert
Saturday July 13th, 2024 3:30 pm
TICKETS $15
At the Ursuline Arts Center
3113 Lexington Rd. Louisville, Kentucky 40206
Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony
"All Along"
Bharathanatyam
by Sutikshna Veeravali (Boston, MA)
"Metamorphoses of Medusa"
Kuchipudi
by Madhuvanthi Sundararajan (Washington DC)
"Steps Beyond Silence"
Contemporary Bharathanatyam
by Maya Rau-Murthy & Team (USA)
Sunday July 14th, 2024 3:30 pm
TICKETS $15
At the Ursuline Arts Center
3113 Lexington Rd. Louisville, Kentucky 40206
"Ekam- Sarvam"
Odissi
by Suprita Trilok (Toronto, CA)
"Dviti"
Bharata-nrityam
by Anugraha Sridhar (New York, NY)
"Sita Draupadi Samvād"
Kathak
by Seema Viswanath and Shuchita Sakwaya
"Gopa-Gopi"
Bharathanatyam
by Guru Vandana Arts Academy & Team (Louisville, KY)
Sutikshna Veeravalli is a Bharatanatyam dancer and Carnatic vocalist, from Chicago, IL. She has trained under her mother and dancer, Smt. Vanitha Veeravalli, and has been invited to perform at organizations such as Third Eye Dancers (Atlanta, GA), where her performance received special mention. In addition to venues in the US, Sutikshna has performed in the Music and Dance festival in Chennai and Bangalore for several years. Her performance was reviewed in The Hindu (February 2013). Sutikshna holds the unique distinction of composing a Thillana at the age of 14 and performing it at her Bharatanatyam Arangetram. This was possible because of her equally rigorous training in Carnatic music. She has won multiple awards at the Cleveland Aradhana and Chicago Tyagaraja Utsavam in both arts. Sutikshna was featured in several Tamil magazines, a Kalai Malar (Jaya TV) interview, and holds the title of Yuva Kala Vipanchee for youth excellence in classical dance and music. We are thrilled to welcome Sutikshna to Louisville.
Shuchita Sakwaya is an accomplished kathak artist and educator with 20 years of experience in the field.She completed her Masters of Performing Arts from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi with a Gold medal in kathak and holds the UGC NET certification from the government of India for research and teaching in Performing arts.She has been performing from a very young age at prestigious dance festivals internationally such as Bharat Rang Mahotsav, Dhouli Kalinga Mahotsava- India , Navrang Fest by Indian Consulate General-Dubai, Swiss International Kathak Festival and many more.She has been associated as a Faculty member in Lasya Institute of Dance Mumbai India, Shree Gurkul Dubai UAE, Bollywood Dance Studio Bangkok Thailand.She is now based in North Carolina USA since 2021 and continues to teach and perform kathak.
Seema Vishwanath comes from a culturally rich city of Mysore, Karnataka and holds Masters degree in ‘Fine arts – Bharathanatyam’ from ‘Kalai Kaviri college of Fine Arts’ and ‘Computer Applications’ from ‘Sikkim Manipal University . She has worked at Dell, Bangalore for almost a decade as an IT professional. Being a daughter of a Dramatist and Stage designer Mr.Viswanath, she was introduced to Indian classical dance from an early age. She has been learning Bharatanatyam under the guidance of Danseuse Guru. Nandini Eswer – founder of ‘Raasavruda School of Dance, Mysore’ for last 20+ years. After graduation she moved to Bangalore to work at Dell and it opened up an opportunity to learn Kathak under the guidance of Late Guru. Dr. Maya Rao – founder of ‘Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography, Bangalore’. She was privileged to learn two styles of Kathak, i.e. Jaipur gharana and Lucknow gharana from these two imminent teachers. She has completed ‘Vidwath’ exam in Bharathanatyam and is a first rank holder in ‘Kathak’ exam conducted by Karnataka Board. She is an ‘A’ graded artist in Doordarshan and has delivered hundreds of performances in various stages across different states of India and also in International stages of Sri Lanka and United States. She has played leading roles in several dance productions from Raasavrunda school of Dance and was part of productions from Natya Institute. She has always been associated with the field of Arts as a performer, teacher, examiner, choreographer, judge and most importantly as a Learner.
Madhuvanthi Sundararajan is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and educator with a rich background in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. Her journey in dance spans over two decades, during which she has honed her skills under the guidance of esteemed Gurus such as Uma Tilak, Shilpa Srinivasan, Prajakta Borse-Bharate, Saee Shetye, Dr. Parimal Phadke in Bharatanatyam, and now continues to train in Kuchipudi under the mentorship of Kasi Aysola. With a Master’s degree and a Gold Medal from the Centre for Performing Arts, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Madhuvanthi has earned recognition for her exceptional talent and dedication. She has been awarded the prestigious ‘Rabindra Puraskar’ for her outstanding performance during her master's course. Madhuvanthi has performed at renowned venues across India and the United States, including the Parthasarathy Swami Sabha in Chennai, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival with Prakriti Dance, Cuttack Mahotsav where she received the "Nrityamani" award, India International Dance Festival Pune, Nitya Nritya Festival in Salt Lake City, and the Around the World Festival in Washington DC, among others. In addition to her performance career, Madhuvanthi plays an integral role in the dance community. As the Programming and Outreach Lead for Prakriti Dance and a Board of Director at the Indian Dance Educators Association, USA, she actively contributes to the promotion and preservation of Indian classical dance forms. With a passion for teaching, Madhuvanthi has shared her expertise with students of all ages, both in-person and virtually, across India, the USA, and abroad for the past decade. She is known for her versatility as a choreographer, having created captivating routines in group productions like "Rukmini Kalyanam" for Natyabhoomi School of Dance and individual pieces. Outside of dance, Madhuvanthi holds a bachelor’s degree in Photography, where she continues to explore the intersection of portraits and dance, showcasing her multifaceted talents across artistic disciplines.
Suprita Trilok's journey in the world of dance began at a young age, where her deep passion for Odissi was unmistakable. Under the guidance of Guru Nivedita Mukherjee in Mumbai, she took her first steps into this ancient art form. In 2009, Suprita embarked on a new chapter by relocating to Houston, TX, where she resumed her Odissi training under the skilled tutelage of Guru Shipra Avantica Mehrotra.
Currently residing in Toronto, Canada, where she continues to refine and elevate her Odissi skills under the mentorship of Guru Shipra Mehrotra. Throughout her journey, Suprita has graced numerous prestigious stages across North America and India, leaving a lasting impression with her captivating performances.
Anugraha Sridhar is a Bharathanatyam artiste, Carnatic vocalist and Playback singer from New York. She is a senior disciple of Dr Padma Subrahmanyam and a teaching faculty at Nrithyodaya School for dance, Chennai. She has specialised in learning the 108 Karanas under the direct guidance of Dr Padma. Having performed in many prominent festivals across India, she has also performed internationally. She was invited to perform in South Africa under invitation from the India Embassy for Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). Anugraha works with various dancers and schools to create collaborative work and teaches students across the USA. She has sung for two Tamil films and is a Carnatic musician. She holds a Masters of Public policy from the University of Sydney, Australia and worked as a political strategist in India. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Fine arts from the SASTRA University, Thanjavur.
Maya Rau-Murthy:
Maya Rau-Murthy is a konnakol artist (verbal percussion), Bharatanatyam dancer, rapper, mridangist, director, composer, performer, choreographer, and co-director of Natya Anubhava Academy. She has performed widely globally, including in the National Gallery of Art in DC with Akshara Ensemble, Martha Graham Theater, United Nations, Seva Sadan Malleswaram, Drive East, SafeHouse Arts SF, New York City Hall, Jewish Museum, Hammond Museum, Javits Center, Smith Center, Stanford University. Her works center around using arts as a medium for social justice education. Some notable productions she recently produced, directed, choreographed, and composed include: "Anyatha Naasti: Dreams of the Other," which explores the harmful effects of 'othering', "Janani: Ode to Mother Earth" addresses our environmental responsibility. "Ardhanareeshwara: Shattering the Construct of Gender," challenging restrictive gender roles. She is currently directing and touring previews nationally “Steps Beyond Silence”, an awareness education work around gender-based violence. For this award-winning work, she is the recipient of the Unrehearsed Artists Resident, and is a finalist for the New England Fine Arts National Dance Project, and the Global Asian Creative Awards.
Sindhu Natarajan: Music Director, Carnatic Vocal, Composer
Sindhu Natarajan is a renowned vocalist, composer, and South Indian classical dancer. She comes from a family of musicians, and began her formal training in Carnatic music with her aunts, Vasanthi Kannan and Raji Gopalakrishnan, and her grandfather, P.V. Natarajan. She has also studied Bharatanatyam under Mythili Kumar of Abhinaya Dance Company in San Jose.
Sindhu has given many concerts in the Bay Area for the past 15 years. She has also collaborated with and composed music for multiple leading South Asian dance companies and choreographers across the United States. In addition to performing, Sindhu is a passionate composer who creates music that blends her Carnatic roots with other genres.
Furthermore, Sindhu is a passionate advocate for immigrant artists. She is on the advisory board of The Immigrant Artist Network, where she uses her art to connect with other immigrant artists and comrades to build community in the art space.
Vishnu R: Navtar, Composer
Vishnu R is an award-winning Indian Classical & Jazz musician, composer and the inventor of the new, unique 9-string instrument NAVTAR (patented). A Fellow of the US Govt. Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs, Mentor of British Council's India-UK Exchange and a Grade 8 Western Classical graduate from the Trinity College of London, Vishnu is the recipient of prestigious awards such as ‘Best Performer & Composition Award’ Beyond Music International Project (Switzerland), Karnataka Rajyothsava, and has collaborated with leading artists such as 5-time GRAMMY award-winning artists Snarky Puppy, Padmavibhushan Umayalapuram K. Sivaraman, Padmashri A.Kanyakumari, Vijay Prakash, Singer Karthik, Guitar Pasanna to name a few.
Shubha Chadramouli: Mridangam, Composer
Shubha received her initial mridangam tutelage from Sri. Poovalur Srinivasan, and has continued to receive advanced training under Sri. Patri Satish Kumar. One of only a handful of performing female mridangam artists in the world, Shubha has given mridangam accompaniment to several renown musicians across the globe.
As a collaborator in diverse genres of music and dance ensembles, Shubha has performed at numerous global music festivals, most recently the Reflektor festival in Hamburg, Germany curated by Anoushka Shankar.
Shubha’s initial introduction into Carnatic music was from her mother, Smt. Sunanda Chandramouli. Shubha continued advanced vocal training under the late Smt. Geetha Ramanathan Bennett and Sri. Delhi P.
Anugraha Sridhar: Dancer/Choreographer
Anugraha Sridhar is a Bharathanrityam artiste and Carnatic vocalist from New Jersey. She is a senior disciple of Padmabhushan Dr Padma Subrahmanyam and the artistic director of Anugraha Arts- Centre for Bharathanrityam. She has specialized in the 108 Karanas in addition to other Marga techniques and has performed in many prominent festivals across India including the prestigious Spirit of Youth festival 2014 at The Music Academy Madras. She was invited to perform with her guru in five cities in South Africa under invitation from the India Embassy for Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and also went on her first solo Europe tour presenting and teaching in Paris, Madrid and London. Anugraha works with various dancers and companies like Jiva dance to create collaborative work and mentors’ senior students on body conditioning techniques, across the USA. The Indian express calls Anugraha "A Niche in Nrityam in NYC" as a choreographer striving to create her own artistic voice in the country. She was invited to perform for the festival celebrating 75 years of Indian Independence inside the Capitol Hill in Washington DC hosted by senators and senior business groups in the USA.
Mrinaalika Sivakumar: Animation Director, Dancer, Choreographer
Mrinaalika is an award-winning multi-media artist and bharatanatyam dancer. Mrinaalika is a choreographer at Natya Anubhava Dance, known for leading an award-winning collegiate bharatanatyam team and for performing Ardhanareeshwara: Shattering the Construct of Gender. As an artist, she has been recognized by the City of Boston’s Artist Grant Program for her work in local publications and city-wide murals. Mrinaalika has also done graphic design work with large brands such as Nike and NBA, as well as with justice initiatives such as NEXTDistro. Mrinaalika also works as a housing and substance-use specialist, supporting operations and mitigating the needs of homeless populations in Boston. Her backgrounds in bharatanatyam, social justice and art bridge the gap between animation, dance, music, and the complex themes we address.
Meenakshi Chen: Dancer, Choreographer
Meena Chen, is a multimedia storyteller focused on the intersection of art, activism, spirituality, and identity. Trained in Bharatanatyam under Dr. Nalini Rau, they work across mediums such as music, visual art, and dance, and center their art on healing and community-building through spiritual practice, event-planning, and teaching. As a performer, they are known by their full name - Meenakshi 陳美明 - an homage to their mixed ancestral and cultural influences. Meena graduated from Swarthmore College in 2021 with a major in Environmental Studies and double minor in Religion and Dance, and have been working as a freelance performing artist and creator ever since. In Philadelphia, from 2022-2023, they danced as a company dancer and choreographer with AniMalayaworks. Now they currently live in NY where they are an educator, performer, and choreographer at Natya Anubhava Theater.