New Brunswick, NJ – 05/20/12 – Kalamandir Dance 25th Anniversary Showcase – Philip J. Levin Theater at Mason Gross Rutgers University

Kalamandir of NJ Dance School & Kalamandir Dance Company will collaborate on a showcase celebrating Kalamandir's 25 Anniversary!

Performances will include:

-Kathak Demonstrations (Performed by the entire school)
-Kabuliwala - Original Story by Rabindranath Tagore (Performed by Junior students of Kalamandir)
-Death of Ghanashyam - Music by Ravi Shankar (Performed by Intermediate & Advanced students of Kalamandir)
-RISE - Music by Biplab Mondal & Company (Debut! Performed by Kalamandir Dance Company)

All pieces are directed by Malabika Guha.

Please bring your friends and family to witness this memorable event for one of New Jersey's leading Indian Classical and Creative dance ensembles!

Online tickets are now available on the "contact" page (tab found above in menu bar).
Reserved tickets can be reserved by emailing kalamandirdanceco@gmail.com.

Kalamandir of NJ is a Classical Kathak dance school created by Malabika Guha and located in central New Jersey. It aims to pass on the rich history of the North Indian classical dance as well as the specific technique of the Lucknow gharana. Under the guidance of Malabika Guha, students undergo rigorous and enlightening weekly training with the ultimate goal of becoming mature, poised “Katthakas,” or those who tell a story. While reflecting on the vast, mixed history of Kathak, which draws its influence from Hindu temples, Persian culture, and Mughal courts, Kalamandir also seeks to place Kathak on a progressive platform where the traditional aspects of its movement are intact, but the form is placed on both classical and classically-based contemporary music. With special weekly classes based in “nritta” (pure dance), “natya” (expressive dance), and contemporary composition, Kalamandir of NJ has successfully been running since 1986 and seeks to continue spreading the rich culture of Kathak for years to come.

Kalamandir Dance Company (501c3) is a contemporary dance ensemble, directed by Malabika Guha, that uses the vocabulary of classical Indian dance to explore new spaces of artistic expression. Instead of diminishing the foundation of our classical styles, we look to investigate their communicative potential when merged with Western dance traditions. Using Odissi, Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Capoeira, Flamenco, Modern and Ballet training, our dancers converse with movement and create dialogue with expression. We are driven by creativity, human emotions, and a desire to be released from the four walls of our daily existence. Our movement vocabulary aims to create a reachable area for all people to participate and communicate.