Newsletter | May 2018

From the Director's desk

On Saturday 5 May, Akademi's new production The Troth receives its London premiere at Southbank Centre. We're excited to be one of the first shows in the newly-refurbished Queen Elizabeth Hall, so I hope you'll be able to join us. Last week we presented a sold out performance of DAKSHINA, an exquisite evening of classical Indian dance by Kamala Devam and Elena Catalano at Rich Mix. Congratulations to the Dance Well team for presenting Akademi’s work at Aesop’s Arts and Health Showcase. We were also honoured to be invited to perform at the Science Museum to welcome the Prime Minister of India and HRH Prince Charles. It was presented by Arunima Kumar Dance Company. Read on for more news and I hope we'll see you at an Akademi event soon.

Mira Kaushik OBE

Productions

The Troth | London Premiere

Akademi's dynamic production premieres in London on 5 May as part of Alchemy 2018 at Southbank Centre.

Book Tickets: The Troth @ Alchemy 2018

DAKSHINA

This curated evening featured two of London’s leading practitioners, Kamala Devam and Elena Catalano.

More info: Read the programme

Performances

Akademi presents classical dance to the Prime Minister of India and HRH Prince Charles

Akademi was delighted to present Arunima Kumar Dance Company's piece Jyotirmay Bharat during a reception at the Science Museum attended by HRH Prince Charles and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.

Read on: Dance performance greets Prime Minister of India and HRH The Prince of Wales

Learning and Participation

Reach Out and Reveal

Akademi’s Reach Out and Reveal project continues to generate a huge amount of excitement and interest for all involved. This project is already making a big difference, and teachers have commented on the strengths of the intervention and the changes they have started to see in students.

Read on: Reach Out and Reveal Update

Dance Well

Aesop's National Arts in Health Conference and Showcase

We were very pleased to be one of the 24 organisations to present at the Aesop’s Arts and Health Showcase on Thursday 19 April. Dance Well Project Officer Claire Farmer spoke about the team's work with cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation patients - and got the audience moving.

Read on: Aesop National Arts in Health Conference and Showcase

What's on at Akademi

The Troth - Usne Kaha Tha London Premiere

Alchemy 2018

Sat 5 May, 7.30pm
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Southbank Centre, London

"A gripping experience of a shared heritage ... superb ... fascinating." ★★★★★
Jann Parry, DanceTabs

Akademi’s The Troth is a gripping wartime story of love and loss, told through powerful dance theatre.

Book Tickets

Watch the Trailer

Sufi:Zen @ Bell Square

Sat 19 May, 3 and 8.30pm
Bell Square, London

An energised dance performance which contrasts the rapturous intensity of Sufi mysticism with the stillness of Zen meditation.

Dance Well @ Tate Exchange

Sat 19 and Sun 20 May, 12 - 6pm
Tate Modern, London
Blavatnik Building, Level 5

Akademi will be joining Vital Arts and Music in Hospitals & Care at Tate Exchange. The day will be full of free activities including dance workshops and performances, drumming workshops and life drawing.

What's on in our world of dance

Performance

May

South Asian Arts uk | Leeds International Festival - Inner Vision Orchestra
1 May, 2pm
Northern Ballet, Leeds

The Bhavan | Mandolin Music Festival
5 May, 6pm
The Bhavan, London

Sampad | Asian Spring 2018
6 May, 4pm
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

Rich Mix | NT Live: Macbeth
10 May, 7pm
Rich Mix, London

Kala Sangam | Dance Discoveries
12 May, 7.30pm
St Peter's House, Bradford

GemArts | GemArts Riverside Ragas: Shahank Subramanyam
18 May, 7.45pm
Sage Gateshead

The Bhavan | Becoming Subbulakshmi and Nagarathnammal's Dream
20 May, 4pm
The Bhavan, London

Amina Khayyam Dance Company | One
23 May, 7.30pm
South Street, Reading

Kala Sangam | QUEST - Breaking Tradition
25 / 26 May, 7pm
St Peter's House, Bradford

June

The Bhavan | Ravi Shankar Memorial Festival: Hemang Mehta and Pt Rajkumar Misra
2 June 2018, 6.30pm
The Bhavan, London

The Bhavan | RSMF: Pt Partha Bose and Pt Rajkumar Misra
3 June, 6pm
The Bhavan, London

Kala Sangam | 25th Anniversary Charity Gala Dinner
6 June, 6pm
St Peter's House, Bradford
Email or 01274 303340

Poet in the City | Icons & Influences
9 June, 6.30pm
Kings Place, London

GemArts | Riverside Ragas: ONE
15 June, 7.45pm
Sage Gateshead

Kala Sangam | Santoor Recital with Tabla - Ustad Kiranpal Singh
16 June, 7.30pm
St Peter's House, Bradford

Classes

Bolly Flex | Bollywood, professional level
Mondays, 8.30pm – 10pm
Base Dance Studios, London

Sonia Sabri Company | Kathak, various levels
Saturdays, 12pm
Baithak, Birmingham

Sonia Sabri Company | Tabla, various levels
Saturdays, 12pm
Baithak, Birmingham

Nupur Arts Dance Academy | Bollywood, various levels
Saturday and Sunday, 10.30
Peepul Enterprise, Leicester

South Asian Arts UK | The Art of Tabla with Pandit Yogesh Samsi
29 Apr, 4pm
GNNSJ, Leeds

ISTD | ISTD Teachers' Residential Summer School 2018
6 - 17 Aug
University of Chichester

Images (from top):

The Troth, 2018. Credit: Simon Richardson
Akademi at Science Museum 2018. Credit: Antareepa Thakur Mukherjee.
#IEnjoyDancingBecuase, 2018. Credit:Giulia Ghinelli
The Troth, 2018. Credit: Simon Richardson
Sufi:Zen, 2017, Leicester. Credit: Leicester City Council.