No Images? Click here Newsletter | November 2018 From the Director's deskWith the onset of October, the season of festivity started in London. Akademi continued its Autumn of Bharatanatyam series with a performance at The Milton Court in London on 19 October 2018 where South Asian dance met French Baroque music. We invited dancers Pushkala Gopal and Shivani Sethia to choreograph Bharatanatyam and Kathak dance pieces to Rameau’s ‘Les Indes galantes’ opera. The concert was broadcast live on BBC Radio Three. The six dancers created a mesmerising accompaniment to the BBC Singers and Academy of Ancient Music conducted by celebrated Sofi Jeannin. Autumn of Bharatanatyam will culminate with NIVEDIN on 17 November at Rich Mix, where Akademi will present Swati Sheshadri along with an ensemble of emerging musicians. Akademi returned to manage the Dance Marquee at The Mayor of London’s event, Diwali on Trafalgar Square on 28 October 2018. The Dance Marquee was filled with vibrant colours and various South Asian Dance styles, ranging from Bollywood to Odissi. The atmosphere was ecstatic with thousands of Londoners participating, dancing inside and outside the marquee. I would like to invite you to join us for our forthcoming Autumn tour, which will take The Troth to six different locations around the UK. At this time of transition we are sad to say goodbye to two of our artists Daniel Hay-Gordon and Songhay Toldon, and delighted to welcome two new dancers, Mithun Gill and Alistair Goldsmith. Mira Kaushik OBE Autumn of BharatanatyamComposition to ChoreographyBharatanatyam virtuoso Rama Vaidyanathan conducted a choreography intensive for classical Indian dance artists this September; a rare and exceptional opportunity. PerformancesSufi:Zen on tourAkademi's longest running show that has been touring across the UK for nearly a decade now, toured to Preston and Vivacity Peterborough in October. It has recently been refreshed by choreographer Gauri Sharma Tripathi Audiences gather at the Dance Marquee at The Mayor of London’s Diwali on Trafalgar Square. Learning and ParticipationAkademi @ Bloomsbury FestivalAkademi returned to Bloomsbury Festival for Sunday Funday at the festival hub in Brunswick Square; with a free participatory dance workshops for family groups run by artist Sita Thomas. Read: Akademi at Bloomsbury Festival Vote for Akademi to be supported by CIL fundsCamden Council want to hear from residents about how to spend CIL funds. ‘CIL’ refers to Community Infrastructure Levy, a fee charged on developers when new building projects take place in Camden. Akademi needs your support to potentially benefit from these funds. We’d be very grateful if you would take out some time to vote for us! Support us: Vote for Akademi Dance WellSouth Asian Dance Medicine and Science AssociationAkademi's Dance Well Project Officer, Claire Farmer is now a committee member of the South Asian Dance Medicine and Science Association, who work to promote safe dance practice and disseminate multi-disciplinary research. Find out more: South Asian Dance MSA Dance Well features in ArtsProfessionalClaire Farmer writes about using South Asian dance to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of older people living with chronic conditions. What's on at AkademiThe Troth - Usne Kaha Tha | November 20189 Nov | Royal Welsh College, Cardiff Akademi’s The Troth is a gripping wartime story of love and loss, told through powerful dance theatre. Directed and choreographed by Gary Clarke. Presented in association with the British Army. Dance Well presentation at Engage 2018 conferenceJoin our Dance Well Project Officer Claire Farmer, and dance artist Archita Kumar on 13 November as they deliver a talk and workshop on Akademi's health and wellbeing work as part of the Engage 2018 conference; A social prescription: Collaborations through arts, health & education. Autumn of Bharatanatyam: NIVEDIN | The OfferingFriday 17 November 2018, 7.30pm An exhilarating evening of classical Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music presented by Swati Seshadri and an ensemble of young musicians. Peek into a captivating world of interplay and balance between dance and music. Swati has a wonderous musicality and fresh expressiveness in her performances that is not to be missed. Akademi @ Devonshire Square's Diwali FestivalAkademi presents Odissi and Dandiya performances at Devonshire Square on 7 November, 5 - 7.30pm. This outdoor event is free and open to members of the public, but booking is necessary. Akademi @ World Travel MarketAkademi presents South Asian Dance at World Travel Market, 5 - 7 Nov at ExCel Centre, London. This is an international event for the travel industry to meet business professionals and expand their networks. What's on in our world of danceLooking for South Asian dance training and institutions in the UK?Our new South Asian Dance section of the website is the place to start. If you’re a student looking to start a journey in South Asian dance, we can start you off on the road to excellence. This new database will grow and develop over time. If you deliver South Asian dance classes in the UK and want to make an amendment to your listing or have your business included please email info@akademi.co.uk. PerformanceNovemberKala Sangam | Confessions of a Cockney SkandaPuranam Divya Kasturi Company | Echoes from the past Altered Skin | Confessions of a Cockney Temple Dancer Kamala Devam Company | Ankusha and Other Mysteries Sadhana Dance | Unkindest Cut Kala Sangam | Bradford Scratch GemArts | Riverside Ragas: Simon Thacker Mark Morris Dance Group / Silkroad Ensemble | Layla and Majnun Aakash Odedra Company | #JeSuis Kala Sangam | Women of the World Festival GemArts | Diwali Celebrations The Bhavan | Annual Diwali Fundraising Gala Manasamitra | Canopy of Voices Kala Sangam | Ankusha and Other Mysteries DecemberGemArts | Swati Natekar GemArts | Preti Taneja We That Are Young Regular ClassesSonia Sabri Company | Kathak Sonia Sabri Company | Tabla for beginners Sonia Sabri Company | Asian Folk Dance Sonia Sabri Company | Kathak for beginners Elena Catalano | Odissi dance classes Bolly Flex | Bollywood Nupur Arts Dance Academy | Bollywood Srishti - Nina Rajarani Dance School | Autumn Term 2018 Masterclasses and WorkshopsNatyanjali Dance School | Saroja Vaidyanathan Masterclass Vena Ramphal | Design your dance career for 2019 Images (from top): French Baroque Music meets Indian Classical Dance, Milton Court, 2018. Image courtesy: BBC Singers |