Akademi is a regional dance development agency that promotes the practice and appreciation of South Asian dance through site specific work, continuous professional development, education and community programmes and a resource and public information service. Our funding supports core costs.
BELLS by Akademi in partnership with Theatre Tol
Presented as part of Showtime Festival, Mayor of London 2012 Host City
Original Choreography Kumudini Lakhia
Dancer and Co- choreographer Urja Thakore
Dancer and Co- choreographer Amina Khayyam
Stage Manager Beth Barnes Hoare
Lighting Designer Prema Mehta
Production Manager Simon Robertson
Dancers:
Manuela Benini
Hanna Manila
Amina Khayyam
Archita Kumar
Quincy Kendell Charles
Kakoli Mishra
Iris Chan
Parbati Chaudhry
Kavya Kaushik
Acclaimed Bharatanatyam artist Priydarsini Govind performs the final of Akademi's Maaya presented in Westminster Hall as part of Arts in Parliament.
Maaya is a creative journey encompassing the richness of a vivid sensory experience, presenting a piece that projects the aesthetic values of contemporary Indian culture into this distinguished space in the heart of Westminster. The whole site was transformed, achieving a unique spectacle of South Asian dance using contemporary and classical performers. Directed by renowned choreographer Gauri Sharma Tripathi together with Shivani Sethia, the Hall was animated through a live cast creating a magical dream like experience in which the audience was immersed for 20 minutes. This culminated in a finale performed by eminent Indian dancer Priyadarsini Govind.
MAAYA was a creative journey encompassing the richness of a vivid sensory experience, Akademi presented a piece that projects the aesthetic values of contemporary Indian culture into the distinguished space in the heart of Westminster Hall. Directed by renowned choreographer Gauri Sharma Tripathi together with Shivani Sethia, Seeta Patel and Yamuna Devi, Maaya was a magical dream- like experience.
Section one: An undulating wave of colour - A vibrant avalanche of dance forms burst forth, gradually settling into an undulating wave of colour.
Section two: Inner tranquility - The wave of colour subsides and each dancer serenely explores the space. A processional tableaux portrays the inner tranquility of a calm mind. We are friends with ourselves.
Section three: Intimate rapture - An intimate rapture arises out of a circulating mêlée of blurred motion. Experience harmony, swirling into a blissful trance of colour.
FINALE by Priyadarsini Govind
Stage performance
Maaya culminated in a finale performed by eminent, visiting Indian dancer Priyadarsini Govind. Priyadarsini performed pieces in the traditional style of Bharatanatyam that celebrates movement, the art of lyrical expression, the performance space and life itself. Starting with movement, the final dance seeks the bliss of oneness with creation.
With Christopher Bannerman, Sheba ChhaChhi, Shobana Jeyasingh, Gautam Malkani, Sadanand Menon, Anita Ratnam, Sonia Sabri, Alaknanda Samarth, Anusha Subramanyam, Chitra Sundaram and Tim Supple.
Looking for the Invisible - The 'Abstract' in South Asian Arts
Akademi in collaboration with The Place presented an opportunity
to engage in a cross-cultural, multi-disciplinary dialogue between
eminent artists across the world of South Asian arts. The symposium
investigated where abstract lies in the South Asian arts through
the work of six prominent creators. Invited artists narrated and
presented their work through informal conversations with their peers
and took participating audiences through a personal journey of
artistic/creative discovery. This event was an uplifting
and inspiring afternoon for all curious creators, thinkers, artists
and audiences.
Looking for the Invisible follows an established history of
groundbreaking symposiums such as South Asian Aesthetics -
Unwrapped! (Royal Opera House), No Man's Land - Exploring
South Asianness (ICA), and Frame by Frame - A Symposium on the
Dance of Indian Cinema and its Transition into Bollywood Dancing
(Royal Opera House).
This film documents the outcome of the ACE Choreographic Development Fund for three artists, Kali Chandrasegaram, Aakash Odedra and Sub Subramaniam. The artists were mentored by Theresa Beattie.
Visit www.akademi.co.uk for more information
Bollywood glamour met salon sophistication in this half-day symposium charting the history and evolution of the dance of Indian cinema. The audiences found out what drives this booming global industry at Frame by Frame; a symposium covering key themes, including: The globalisation of Indian cinema; what defines Indian cinema and how is it different to world cinema; a history and tribute section on the dance of Indian cinema throughout the ages; the economy of Bollywood dance and a personal perspective of an eminent filmmaker.
Featured guests included: Gurinder Chadha (OBE), Prof. Lord Desai, Prof. Rachel Dwyer, Nasreen Munni Kabir, Keith Khan, Nina Nannar,Dr. Sangita Shresthova, Parminder Vir (OBE) and performances from many eminent dance artists.
Fasih ur Rehman in conjunction with Akademi performs 'Kathak Mughlia' at Watermans Arts Centre, Brentford on 4th November 2011.
www.akademi.co.uk
http://fasihurrehman.com
Filmmaker: Jacob Perlmutter
This is a clip of the rehearsal, research and development phase of Paradiso in September 2011.
This was part of Encounter, North Kent
Performance location at Sheppey Health Living Centre, Sheerness.
Choreographed by Mayuri Boonham and in conjunction with Akademi.
Dancers: Pauline Reibell, Shreya Kumar and Archana Ballal
This is a 10 minute excerpt of the performance of 'song of the city' which premiered at The Vault at Southwark Playhouse in August 2011.
Inspired by the 150th anniversary of the birth of Rabindranath Tagore, poet, musician, visual artist and social reformer song of the city celebrates and interprets Tagore's creativity against the back drop of 21st Century London. Taking his philosophies, songs and sketches as inspiration song of the city explores the duality of light and dark, west and east, self and other as the three characters of Muse, Artist and Man fall in and out of tune with the city, taking a journey deep into its heart to discover hidden and surprising revelations. The aesthetic of Tagore's sketches and doodles, and in particular the black and white imagery he used, stimulated us to seek a site reflecting this visual experience. Southwark Vaults surpassed our expectations.
Featuring ballet, bharatanatyam and contemporary dance set to a haunting musical arrangement, song of the city reveals the soul that pulses within the city.
Woman / Muse Kamala Devam
Romantic / Creative Kim Amundsen
Realist / Executive Gian Luca Loddo
Creative Team
Vocalist: Ash Mukherjee
Sohini Alam
Costumes and Styling: Ash Mukherjee
Production & Stage Management: Anthony Osborne
Lighting Designer: Bill Deverson
Translation: William Radice
Filmmaker: Will Huntley
Dramaturge & Sceneographer: Deepan Sivaraman
Composer, Arranger & Musician: Arun Ghosh
Choreographer: Ash Mukherjee
Line Producer: Lydia Fraser-Ward
Executive Producer: Mira Kaushik
Director: Mira Kaushik
Administration Director: Monique Deletant Bell
Administrator: Nina Edwards
Dance Production Officer: Lydia Fraser-Ward
Education Director/Freelance Consultant: Christina Christou
Education & Community Officer: Jess Linton
PA / Marketing Assistant: Dawn James
Finance Officer: Syd Rae
Akademi's inter- generational project 'Who We Are' offers opportunities for parents and their children aged 9-16 years to take part in arts activities which explore their cultural heritage, through art forms such as storytelling, drama, dance, film-making, music, visual arts and crafts.
Supported by the Big Lottery Fund, Akademi uses creative learning to inspire participants and develop an appetite for further learning.
One parent with three children from Child's Hill School, commented, "It's so great -- my kids never engage like this. They are so involved".
If you would like to hear more or suggest potential partners or participants for our Family Learning programme please contact jess@akademi.co.uk
'song of the city' premiered at The Vault at Southwark Playhouse on the 5th and 6th of August 2011.
Inspired by the work of Rabindranath Tagore.
Credits:
Cast:
Woman / Muse Kamala Devam
Romantic / Creative Kim Amundsen
Realist / Executive Gian Luca Loddo
Creative Team:
Vocalist: Ash Mukherjee
Sohini Alam
Costumes and Styling Ash Mukherjee
Production & Stage Management Anthony Osborne
Lighting Designer Bill Deverson
Translation William Radice
Filmmaker Will Huntley
Dramaturge & Sceneographer Deepan Sivaraman
Composer, Arranger & Musician Arun Ghosh
Choreographer Ash Mukherjee
Line Producer Lydia Fraser-Ward
Executive Producer Mira Kaushik
Choreogata is a brand new platform for emerging contemporary South Asian choreographers in the UK, established by Akademi. British based with international roots, these artists provide a fresh take on the South Asian performing arts tradition.
This year we launched four new choreographers - Ankur Bahl, Anusha Kedhar, Kamala Devam and Revanta Sarabhai. An exciting evening, putting the spotlight on forthcoming creators who dare to take risks with a mixture of bold and adventurous choreography.
Creating Moves is a London Councils funded programme to provide educational and participatory activity for disadvantaged 5-18 year olds in 12 boroughs of London.
The programme allows young people to experience new dance forms and related arts within their school setting or as part of activities at their local youth centre, arts venue, community group or festival.
In the Autumn Term 2009 Akademi worked with Westminster Education Business Partnership to bring performance and a dance and movement programme to a special educational needs school in the borough. Akademi artists Yamuna Devi and Katie Ryan worked with a group of 19 post-16 pupils on a Bollywood and fusion project which aimed to increase positive attitudes to active health and tackle obesity. At the end of the project the group performed their piece, which was based on traditional themes and characters in Bollywood film, for their school, families and carers.
Akademi enjoyed being a part of numerous Big Dance events in 2010 promoting South Asian dance through workshops and performance tacross London. This was a fantastic opportunity to promote dance to a wider audience. Akademi worked with Big Dance to raise awareness of the extensive forms of dance through participatory workshops and performance.
From March - July 2010 Akademi worked with 10-16 year olds from five local schools and youth groups from the London borough of Lambeth to raise awareness of new dance styles, heighten the profile of dance and young people in the borough and encourage more performance opportunities in interesting public spaces.
In July the group performed their group choreographed Garba folk dance and Bhangra piece in Windrush Square, Brixton. Children and families from the area were invited in to The Ritzy Picture house for a free screening of "Bride and Prejudice"- kindly supported by film director Gurinder Chadha.
The live dance performance marked the end of a successful 6-week dance project which was funded by Lambeth City Learning and London Councils and managed by Lambeth Arts Service for Big Dance 2010.
Adults & Older People image
Akademi works with adults and older people developing their creativity, flexibility and movement through classical dance, music and storytelling. It also allows for improved wellbeing and social output.
Akademi has recently completed an action pilot research and development project investigating best models of dance and movement-based programmes for older adults. Through a grant from Arts Council England, London, artists Amina Khayyam and Joan Pires worked with older adults at the Bengali Worker's Association (Camden) and Nexos Latinoamericanos Dance Company and Acton Community Forum (Ealing). To hear more about our work please contact education@akademi.co.uk; 0207 6912 3210
Akademi would like to thank The Baring Foundation for supporting Akademi to develop Akademi's practice in this important field.
Akademi Connecting Flights
Daredevas
Akademi's Dance Development department works to ensure the continued sustenance and growth of South Asian dance forms in the UK. As part of this process, we seek to nurture creativity, innovation and excellence in all aspects of South Asian dance.
Our work is developed through conversations with artists and includes: influencing the provision of professional training by other organisations; the direct offering and provision of workshops, intensives and seminars; and providing work and platform opportunities.
We aim to empower young artists to determine their own futures. Mentoring, placements and critical debates all contribute to the professional development of artists and future artistic leaders.
An intimate dance experience that unites the stillness of Zen meditation with the rapturous motion of Sufi dervishes. Evoking a cultural landscape that extends from Persia to Japan, Sufi:Zen exists in a world of contrasts -- of ice and fire, entropy and energy, introspection and divine omniscience.
Sufi:Zen is choreographed by Gauri Sharma Tripathi with the support of Jonathan Lunn and Mavin Khoo. It merges multiple dance styles, including kathak, contemporary and ballet. Set to a score by Shrikanth Sriram, this performance reflects Akademi's longstanding reputation for presenting modern perspectives on traditional South Asian dance forms in unusual and distinct spaces.
Sufi:Zen Commissioned by Without Walls and Lakes Alive supported by Lanternhouse and Southbank Centre.
Akademi's Sufi Zen (work in progress), performed at the deciBel Performing Arts Showcase, Manchester Piccadilly Gardens, September 2009.
For more information visit www.akademi.co.uk/sufizen
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Priyadarsini Govind Finale of Maaya
Akademi presents Maaya- Arts in Parliament
Akademi @ KushiFeet Festival Faversham
Looking for the Invisible- The Abstract in South Asian Arts
Akademi Choreographic Development Fund supported by ACE
Akademi Dhol Drummers at Press Launch of Showtime
Akademi Frame by Frame symposium
Fasih ur Rehman 'Kathak Mughlia'
song of the city- unedited excerpt
Akademi Dance Workshops with Adults & Older People.mp4
Akademi Artist Development.mp4
