Mandala Arts Presents PASSAGES OF DANCE & MUSIC: ASIAN CHOREOGRAPHERS SHOWCASE, May 7 At Visceral Dance Center

Mandala South Asian Performing Arts, which connects audiences and students with the vibrancy, flavors, and colors of the performing arts traditions of South Asia, presents "Passages of Dance & Music: Asian Choreographers Showcase," Sunday, May 7 at 3 p.m. at the Visceral Dance Center, 3121 N. Rockwell, Chicago.

"Passages of Dance & Music" features traditional and contemporary works that explore the essence of Asia through dance and music in solo and collaborative works. Artists include:

• Shalaka Kulkarni, an Indian-American diaspora interdisciplinary artist, actor, and choreographer trained in Indian Classical dance and other contemporary forms
• Yoshinojo Fujima (a.k.a. Rika Lin), a shin-nisei, part of the postwar Japanese-American diaspora, and an interdisciplinary performing artist and choreographer
• Ikunojo Fujima, a Chicago-area native and Japanese American, who has performed with the Shubukai dance troupe for more than 30 years
• Krissy Bergmark, a tabla player, percussionist, composer, and educator who centers her creative work on bringing tabla to new genres and cross-genres through composition and performance with a grounded understanding of the instrument's traditions
• Award-winning sisters Sreevidhya and Varsha Vijayan, trained in Indian Classical dance, such as Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, and Kuchupudi, and Indian Cinematic dance, who will present a mix of classical and semi-classical works Said Mandala Executive Artistic Director Pranita Nayar, who curated the showcase, "Through their work, these inspiring creatives offer a powerful, personal glimpse into the imagination and resilience of artists practicing Asian arts in America." Mandala Arts presents "Passages of Dance & Music:

Asian Choreographers Showcase" on Sunday, May 7 at 3 p.m. at
the Visceral Dance Center, 3121 N. Rockwell, Chicago.
Tickets are $25 and are available at mandalaarts.eventbrite.com.
All programming is subject to change.
Mandala South Asian Performing Arts

Mandala connects audiences and students with the vibrancy, flavors, and colors of the performing arts traditions of South Asia, offering powerful engagement with unique and expert dancers, musicians, storytellers, artists, and educators whose origins reach from the Himalayan ranges to the Indian Ocean, from Persia to Indonesia. Mandala's ensemble dancers and musicians, teaching artists, and artistic collaborators and outreach partners bring folk and classical traditions, as well as current and hybrid innovations, to life. Mandala promotes cultural awareness and exchange through entertainment andeducation.

Mandala South Asian Performing Arts is supported by The Richard Driehaus Foundation, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and The Field Foundation.

For more information, visit mandalaarts.org.

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