Mandala South Asian Performing Arts To Celebrate Little India This Fall
Mandala South Asian Performing Arts will present a series of music and dance events in September and October centered in and around the Devon Avenue neighborhood.
By: A.A. Cristi Aug. 20, 2024
Mandala South Asian Performing Arts will present a series of music and dance events in September and October centered in and around the Devon Avenue neighborhood, known as “Little India.”
Thursday, September 26, 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Morse CTA station, 1358 W. Morse Ave., Chicago
Mandala Arts activates the Morse station—located in Rogers Park, a microcosm of the city in its ethnic and cultural diversity—through interactive live music performances. Participating artists include South Asian-American musician Chethan Anant, Balinese Gamelan artist Pak Ngurah, Thai traditional multi-instrumentalist Chamni Sripraram, South American traditional percussionist Juan Pastor, and multi-instrumentalist and American storyteller Shanta Nurullah.
Free, mmfmorse.eventcombo.com
Friday, September 27, 6– 9 p.m.
Sabka Sahaara, The Church on Devon, 2538 W. Devon Ave., Chicago
Master artist Pranita Nayar leads a three-part workshop that offers insights into how to develop a narrative for an expressive dance piece in classical Indian dance. Open to all levels of experience, the workshop has participants learn choreography, develop their own choreography, and discover the art of improvisation in storytelling using mudras (hand gestures) and facial expressions (abhinaya).
$50 per person, abhinayaworkshop.eventcombo.com
Saturday, October 5, 11 a.m.
Intersection of Clark Street and Devon Avenue, Chicago
Mandala innovates traditional Indian dances by bringing them to the streets of Chicago, integrating the city's infrastructure into the choreography. This performance transforms street lamps, benches, and pedestrian platforms into storytelling props. By creatively navigating public spaces, dancers from the diaspora merge their heritage with their current urban context, symbolically embedding their art into everyday life.
Free, dancingwitharchitecture.eventcombo.com
Friday, October 18, 6 p.m.
Shree Ganesh Temple of Chicago, 2545 W. Devon Ave., Chicago
This participatory event brings people in the Devon Avenue community together through a celebratory dance performance with the Mandala Ensemble. After simple lessons to learn the dance, Mandala invites participants to dance the night away. With its origins in the Indian state of Gujarat, this dance has become a global phenomenon.
$10 per person, garbadandiya.eventcombo.com
Mandala South Asian Performing Arts
Mandala Arts is a MacArthur Award-winning organization founded by Executive Artistic Director Pranita Nayar. From classical to contemporary, Mandala connects audiences and students with the vibrancy of the performing arts traditions of South Asia. Mandala offers powerful engagement with specialized artists and educators who represent diverse ethnic, geographical, linguistic, cultural, and gender identities.
For more information, visit mandalaarts.org.
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