Courtyard Dancers creates and stages contemporary Indian dance based on classical and folk forms. We are interested in developing communities of artists and audiences who experience dance in terms of both aesthetic and civic engagement. We believe that artistic creations should respond to social change. We juxtapose the beauty of the classical forms with everyday movements to create our own collages of life. Our vision is to make dance relevant to lived experiences. While we work with Indian dance forms that are deeply rooted in traditions, we mold them to engage the contemporary. We believe that tradition and contemporary are not oppositional, but are best understood as legacies, connections, and transformations. Our works strive to dissolve binaries of east and west, and mind and body, without losing cultural specificity. We strive for sustainable and pluralistic communities that can acknowledge and bridge differences. We offer regular classes, workshops, research, performance opportunities, and dialogue. We hope to take Indian dance to a new era of understanding, exchange, and excellence.
Parampara, a Kathak Dance Performance
Parampara, choreographed by distinguished Cornell Visiting Professor Kumudini Lakhia, will feature renowned Kathak performers from Kadamb Centre for Dance in Ahmedabad, India, members of Philadelphia-based dance company Courtyard Dancers (founded by dance faculty member Pallabi Chakravorty), and Swarthmore students. Kathak means "one who tells stories," and this classical dance form gets its name from Indian communities that sang, danced, and narrated stories. The performance will be followed by a panel of scholars and artists who will discuss the trajectory of Kathak in the 21st Century.Saturday performance, 3–4 p.m., Lang Performing Arts Center, Pearson-Hall Theatre. Saturday panel discussion, 4:30–5:30 p.m., Lang Performing Arts Center Cinema
Watch live dance rehearsals in the Boyer and Troy Dance Studios. Friday, 4–6 p.m., Lang Performing Arts Center
Join Courtyard Dancers on Facebook.
Winter/Spring Semester Classes 2012
Sundays Jan 13 - May 12, 2013
Beginner class: 2-3.15 pm
Intermediate/Advanced class: 3.15-5 pm
Classes accompanied by tabla artist, Ustad Aqeel Bhatti
Watch Pallabi's latest video
Pallabi Chakravorty from Leeway Foundation on Vimeo.
Dance Advance (a program of the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage) • Leeway Foundation •
Asian Arts Initiative • PositiveSpace • The Greater Philadelphia Women's Studies Consortium •
Painted Bride Art Center • Bryn Mawr College • Swarthmore College • Dakshina