NRITYAGRAM DANCE ENSEMBLE
© Ravi Shankar. Nrityagram Dance Ensemble
© Courtesy of Colorado Fine Arts Association. Dancer Pavithra Reddy
© Courtesy of Colorado Fine Arts Association. Nrityagram Dance Ensemble
© Courtesy of Colorado Fine Arts Association. Nrityagram Dance Ensemble
About
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Repertory
KHAṄKHAṆĀ: the sound of dancing feet (2025)
Total Run Time: Approx. 105 minutes, this includes a 20 minute intermission (Performed with live music.)
Choreographer: Surupa Sen
Featuring Nrityagram dancers & musicians
Nrityagram, the land of red mud and birdsong, has been our home and muse. For over thirty years this land has nurtured us and we have poured our sweat, dreams and art to its’ bountiful earth.
The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble, India’s foremost Odissi dance company, invites audiences to journey with us across time to witness KHAṄKHAṆĀ: the sound of dancing feet. The program features highly acclaimed pieces created over the last three decades by choreographer and international renowned Odissi artist Surupa Sen, showcasing Sen’s unique sensibility of thought and movement.
Join us as we dance, celebrate and pay honor to the red earth of our land.
Virtual Programming
VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS
Streamed from the Nrityagram Dance Village studios, these virtual offerings allow audiences worldwide, to engage with a globally renowned Odissi dance company. Hailed by The New York Times as “among the world’s greatest dancers” these virtual activities give audiences access to the company and their dance village like never before.
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Technology: Zoom or other live streaming platform provided by presenter.
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Company requires Presenter to provide a stage manager to run virtual activities. A tech rehearsal with the stage manager is required before every event.
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All activities are adaptable and can be tailored to meet the needs of the presenter.
CURATED ARCHIVAL SERIES (Option to include live chat)
Offering streaming opportunities for curated archival collections that provide a rare chance to watch or rediscover dances from earlier years of the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble, with an introduction by Artistic Director and Choreographer Surupa Sen.
This Series is available to Presenters interested in exclusive footage from the Video Vaults of Nrityagram, that has only been viewed live and is not available online.
Option A: Excerpt of dance work with a recorded introduction by Surupa Sen.
Approx running time: 15 minutes total
Option B: Select Excerpts from a show introduced by Surupa Sen
Approx running time: 30 minutes total + 15-20 minute Post Performance Chat with Surupa Sen
Option C: Evening Length show introduced by Surupa Sen
Approx running time 50 minutes total + 15-20 minute Post Performance Chat with Surupa Sen.
Note regarding Introductions: Surupa will briefly introduce Odissi dance followed by an explanation about the piece the audience is about to see. These introductions, which are a part of all Nrityagram performances, offer a window to the viewer to enable them to find and understand the nuances and meanings of a stylized classical dance.
VIRTUAL TOUR: NRITYAGRAM DANCE VILLAGE
Go on a virtual tour of the Nrityagram Dance Village. Located outside Bangalore in Southern India, this lush ten-acre dance village founded by Protima Gauri in 1990, has been home to the internationally renowned Nrityagram Dance Ensemble for almost 30 years.
A rare opportunity to visit the grounds of this exemplary company that has been visited by notable personalities including Mark Morris, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Mick Jagger.
Led by Artistic Director Surupa Sen, the tour may include a brief view of rehearsals-in-progress or footage of performance excerpts not available online.
Details:
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Live Tour option possible, contact Pentacle for details.
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Running Time: Approx 50-60 minutes (40 minute multimedia and talk + 10-20 minute Q&A)
MOVEMENT WORKSHOP: INTRODUCTION TO ODISSI DANCE
This introductory class is an opportunity to learn basic abstract movement phrases and the body-training specific to Odissi, as evolved and practiced at Nrityagram.
The company begins with a brief lecture that traces Odissi dance from its origin to how it is practiced today, specifically at Nrityagram. This is followed by a demonstratin to illustrate the body training practiced at Nrityagram, the language of Odissi: body positions, basic movement technique, and the use of hand gestures and facial expressions for expressional dance. To end the demonstration, the technique and language of Odissi dance is brought to life through the performance of an excerpt.
Participants then learn Isolated body training techniques used at Nrityagram, and a basic phrase that provides a brief but complete experience of Odissi dance vocabulary.
Details:
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Instructor: Pavithra Reddy
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25 students Max
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Dress code: Full-length tracks or yoga pants & a comfortable t-shirt. No Shorts or Skirts.
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Running Time: 90 minutes
Engagement Activities
While on tour, members from Nrityagram Dance Ensemble offers a variety of engagement activities including Classes, Workshops and Lecture-Demonstrations that feature live musical accompaniment by Nrityagram’s music ensemble.
WORKSHOPS
Odissi Dance Class
This introductory class is an opportunity to learn basic abstract movement phrases and the body-training specific to Odissi, as evolved and practiced at Nrityagram.
The company begins with a brief lecture that traces Odissi dance from its origin to how it is practiced today, specifically at Nrityagram. This is followed by a demonstration to illustrate the body training practiced at Nrityagram, the language of Odissi: body positions, basic movement technique, and the use of hand gestures and facial expressions for expressional dance. To end the demonstration, the technique and language of Odissi dance is brought to life through the performance of an excerpt.
Participants then learn Isolated body-training techniques used at Nrityagram, including information from the Abhinaya Darpana and Natyashastra, which are ancient texts of dance and theatre. The class ends with the teaching of basic phrases that provide a brief but complete experience of the Odissi dance vocabulary
Details:
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Instructor: Pavithra Reddy
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25 students Max
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Dress code: Full-length tracks or yoga pants and a comfortable t-shirt. No Shorts or Skirts.
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Running Time: 90 minutes – 2 hours
Odissi Workshop (Two Days or More)
An extended workshop is also offered where participants experience more in-depth instruction and create a short paragraph of abstract dance based on the phrases that have been taught.
Details:
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Instructor: Pavithra Reddy
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25 students Max
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Dress code: Full-length tracks or yoga pants and a comfortable t-shirt. No Shorts or Skirts.
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Running Time: 90 minutes – 2 hours each day
Lecture-Demonstration
Based on Odissi dance from India, the Lecture-Demonstration is an Introduction to Odissi dance as evolved and practiced at Nrityagram. The presentation will begin with a brief lecture on the history and evolution of the dance form and a demonstration of its unique features including music, rhythms, basic body positions, basic movement vocabulary and nuances such as walks, spins and jumps. This is followed by a demonstration of hand gestures, facial expressions and stylized body language–techniques unique to Odissi, which are used to tell stories. Finally the technique and language of Odissi dance is brought to life through presentation of short dance sequences from KHAṄKHAṆĀ. The event culminates in a Q&A session with the companies.
Geared for young audiences, company members illustrate the breathtaking beauty of both dance forms, demonstrating how each reflects the culture of their homeland and thus the differences that set each apart.
Schooltime Matinee: Dance Village Odyssey
The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble transports students on a magical journey through time and space to Eastern India, the birthplace of Odissi–one of the world’s oldest dance forms. Geared specifically for young audiences, company members illustrate the breathtaking beauty of the dance, demonstrating how it reflects the motifs of ancient Odisha temple sculpture as well as the poetry from the deep wellsprings of Oriya music. This engaging lecture-demonstration which includes audience participation, will introduce the language of Odissi, from body positions and basic movement to the “Language of Expressional Dance” with hand gestures and facial expressions. Excerpts from Nrityagram’s vast repertoire will also be streamed as part of the presentation. A one-of-a-kind cultural exchange, students engage with India’s premiere dance ensemble, culminating in a Q&A session with the dancers. Student Audience Grade Range: 4-12. Running time: Approx 50 minutes + 10 minute Q&A.
Artist Talks and Panel Discussions
Topics include but are not limited to classical Indian dance; KHAṄKHAṆĀ – featuring Odissi dance forms, sculpture, music and rhythms; the poetry of the Gita Govinda; religion and dance; temple architecture and dance; the Natyashastra; storytelling through dance; costumes; body conditioning and injury prevention; gender studies; and the Nrityagram dance village.
Post-performance discussions available upon request. No pre-show discussions/talks.
Press
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“One of the most extraordinary dance events of the year…The only proper response to dancers this amazing is worship.”
The New York Times
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"...nothing short of jaw-dropping...uniquely mysterious, eternal and beautiful."
Times Colonist
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“So beguiling, you resist blinking in case you miss a moment!”
The Herald
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"Excuse my insistence, but if you love dance, you must see this company in action.”
Mikhail Baryshnikov
For more information, please contact:
