Photo Credit: Jonathan Potter
Photo Credit: Michel Cavalca

Not limited by Time

This love song “Priye” was filmed and released as a part of the initiative “Not limited by Time” curated by musician/author T.M. Krishna. NLBT is a response to the byte-size trends of art in the increasingly digital platform, and supports the making and sharing of pieces of art in long-form – not condensed, constricted, or compromised for the sake of virtual consumption.

“We are living in times when everything is being condensed and constricted to fit the “new digital form.” The problem is not just the reduction of time, but the compromised nature of the art that is being offered in the name of adapting to this new norm.

The likes, comments section of our social media pages are determining what we should and should not do. Democratization of art also means we share serious artwork and not only modes of titillation. Every month I will be sharing a long-form raga alapana for your listening.

I do have one request, try listening to it only when you have 20 minutes and not in 4-minute bits. If you get bored, still persevere and go through it. Boredom is also an experience to be had!”

– TM Krishna

She’s Auspicious

Mythili Prakash’s She’s Auspicious receives 2021 National Dance Project Production Grant Award.
She’s Auspicious examines notions of “femininity” through the paradox of the Hindu Goddess who is worshipped as powerful and auspicious, in contrast to the Woman who is objectified and marginalized in society. This solo Bharata Natyam work probes at popular narratives surrounding the Goddess as well as performative constructs of the dance form, which center around a particular aesthetic of beauty and refinement.

She’s Auspicious is made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

BOOKINGS

“She’s Auspicious” premieres at the Reflektor Festival curated by Sitar artist Anoushka Shankar at the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg on November 6, 2021.

We are excited to be celebrating Dance Umbrella’s 40th anniversary in 2018 by launching Four by Four, a campaign to build a new commissions fund for the next generation of talent.

We are proud to announce the artists selected for Four by Four:
Georgia Vardarou – nominated by Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker
Abby Zbikowski – nominated by Stephen Petronio
Mythili Prakash – nominated by Akram Khan
Jon Maya Sein – nominated by Rocío Molina

About Mythili Prakash

Dynamic young artist Mythili Prakash is making waves in the field of Bharata Natyam worldwide. Born and raised in the US, she grew up in an environment filled with dance and music, under the watchful eye of her mother and teacher dance exponent Viji Prakash. Mythili began her performing career with her solo debut in India at the age of eight and has since performed extensively in prestigious venues and festivals throughout the world. She has studied with several legendary stalwarts from India and is now under the mentorship of India’s acclaimed master Malavika Sarukkai.

Photo Credit: Teresa Elwes

…watching the Bharatanatyam dancer Mythili Prakash on Saturday at Symphony Space, I had the luxurious experience of losing track of time, of forgetting about the future. What causes this rare phenomenon? Is it the dancer’s immersion in her own present moment, so strong as to pull us in?

The New York Times, 2016

Photo Credit: Jonathan Potter

CHOREOGRAPHY

For Mythili, choreography is a form of self-expression and introspection. Her works range from pieces of the traditional repertoire, to unique choreographies that break away from traditional structures. Her creative process unravels, investigates, re-energizes, and re-invests accepted ideas, while maintaining classical integrity. The resulting exploration centers around image, metaphor, and symbolism…