NRITYAGRAM: FOR THE LOVE OF DANCE World Premiere at Mark Morris Dance Center, 1/25

Dance Films Association's internationally touring festival will celebrate its 38th edition with a free screening of magnificent documentary shot in India and New York 'NRITYAGRAM: FOR THE LOVE OF DANCE' on January 25.

NRITYAGRAM: FOR THE LOVE OF DANCE
Nan Melville, USA, 2009, 26M
This painterly portrait of an idyllic dance village near Bangalore offers a taste of the Indian dance style, Odissi. Protima Bedi institutionalized classical Indian dance through the founding of Nrityagram; a "gurukul" where students could dance and live in close proximity with their master guru. The internationally renowned Nrityagram Dance Ensemble continues to expand on Protima's legacy; lead dancer and choreographer, Surupa Sen and Odissi Gurukul Director, Bijayini Satpathy have expanded the language of the traditional Odissi dance through the incorporation of choreographic techniques adapted from world dance. The Ensemble continues to push the boundaries of Indian dance and to perform to worldwide acclaim.

shown with
BAHUHDA
Ranjan Palit, Vikram Iyengar, Debashree Bhattacharya, India, 2006, 12m Bahudha is part of a series of Kathak duets interacting with other art forms that was first conceived, choreographed and performed by Debashree Bhattacharya and Vikram lyengar in January 2002. In this rhythmic, colorful short, the two dancers perform before projected images of themselves.

Q & A with director Nan Melville and choreographer Mark Morris, founder of the Mark Morris Dance Group, to follow screening.

For directions, please see www.mmdg.org.

Based in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, the Mark Morris Dance Center fulfills the mission of the Mark Morris Dance Group to serve as a cultural resource to engage and enrich the community. At the heart of the Mark Morris Dance Center are seven column-free studios with wood-sprung floors and spacious dressing rooms with lockers and showers. Primarily used by the Company and School, the seven studios, which range in size from 430 square-feet to 3600 square-feet, are available for rent to non-profit dance companies at deeply discounted rates. The School reflects the spirit of the Mark Morris Dance Group in its celebration of dance and music and offers a diverse range of classes for all ages, striving to be a center of creative activity for children, community residents and professional dancers. More information is available at www.mmdg.org.