Newsletter | November 2019

From the Director's desk

It has been a busy and exciting autumn, for Akademi and our 40th celebrations and for Indian dance across the UK. London has never felt this rich with high-quality Indian dance performances.

This is my last note in the newsletter. After more than 30 years of exhilarating and challenging directorship, I am stepping down as Artistic Director of Akademi South Asian Dance UK on 31 December 2019 to work in the wider creative sector. My successors, Subathra Subramaniam as Artistic Director and Kirsten Burrows as Executive Director, have already started planning the future of Akademi and I hope you will keep engaged with the organisation. Meanwhile my last working day at Akademi is 29 November 2019.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for your interest in Akademi and generosity in supporting my efforts to take Indian dance to a variety of uncharted territories.
I wish you all a very happy Holiday season and a joyous
New Year.

Mira Kaushik OBE

News

Hello and Goodbye

This week, Akademi welcomed Peter Laycock into the team. Peter will take on the role of Interim Learning and Participation Manager, bringing with him fantastic experience from previous roles at The Place.

At the start of December, we will say a warm goodbye to Rohanne Udall, who has been Akademi's Marketing Officer since early 2016. Rohanne will be taking up the role of Content and Communications Manager at Siobhan Davies Dance in South London, so we will no doubt stay in touch! Rohanne would like to thank all the artists, companies and organisations she's had the joy to work with whilst at Akademi.

One Dance UK Awards 2019

Our heartiest congratulations to Chitraleka Bolar, who was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in South Asian Dance at the One Dance UK Awards 2019. This award was sponsored by Akademi to celebrate it's 40th Anniversary Year.

Our admiration also goes out to long time friend of Akademi Sujata Banerjee MBE, who won the Lifetime Achievement Award in Dance Education & Participation. Congratulations to all the awardees, who were drawn from thousands of public nominations and represent the strength and vibrancy of the UK dance sector.

Read on: Winners Announced for One Dance UK Awards 2019

Akademi at 40

40 Under 40 and People that shaped Akademi

To mark the occasion of our 40th anniversary, Akademi have released a list of 40 under 40 South Asian dance artists to look out for in the UK and a series of lists celebrating the people who have shaped Akademi over the years. Since there are too many to mention, on this occasion we have chosen 40 names in each category to resonate with the theme of 40 years.

Read on: 40 Under 40 and People that shaped Akademi

Hampstead Heath Photoshoot

Earlier in the year, we spent an afternoon and an evening on Hampstead Heath with photographer Souvid Datta. You can find a selection of images from that fantastic day on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Thank you to our dancers -- Aabha Sharma, Elena Odissi, Meera Patel, Pallavi Vijay, Parbati Chaudhury, Saloni Saraf, Shyam Dattani and Suhani Dhanki.

See more: Photoshoot images on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Akademi at 40 Events | Looking back

October and November have been very busy months for our Akademi at 40 celebrations

In October we were joined by Akademi's legendary founding Director Tara Rajkumar OAM at three events at The Bhavan, the Victoria and Albert Museum and Rich Mix.

In Conversation with Tara Rajkumar OAM at The Bhavan, was an intimate evening of conversation and reflection on British Indian Dance in London since 1979, with performances from Tara's disciple Bindu Rajendren.
Read on: Forty Years On - Shivaangee Agrawal discusses the event in Pulse

RUMINATION at The V&A celebrated the 40 years of Akademi including tenure of Artistic Director Mira Kaushik OBE and introduced new leadership team Subathra Subramaniam and Kirsten Burrows.
Read On: Magdalen Gorringe reflects on RUMINATIONS and pays tribute to Mira Kaushik in Pulse.
See more: Photos from RUMINATION, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

BROWN TANGLE was an exciting, exploratory and explosive weekend of young British Asian cross-arts at Rich Mix.
See more: Photos from BROWN TANGLE on Facebook.

In November, Akademi presented early career choreographers in SPARKPLUGS at Watermans Art Centre. The night featured dynamic new group pieces and solos from ReRooted Dance Collective and Subhash 'Viman' Gorania's Morph Dance Company.
See more: Photos from SPARKPLUGS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Finally, to close our celebratory season, classical Indian dance was performed in response to the South Asian Collection on display in the British Museum's stunning Hotung Gallery in APOTHEOSIS.
See more: Photos from APOTHEOSIS on Facebook and Twitter.

What's on in our world of dance

Akademi Associated

To celebrate the breadth and richness of South Asian dance in the UK, we’ve invited artists to submit information on London-based events between 1 April 2019 and 1 April 2020 to form the Akademi Associated programme.

See the full programme

Join the programme

November

Nandavana Dance | Chinnadevi
30 November, 5.30pm
Sri Murugan Temple, London

Srishti – Nina Rajarani School of Dance | Vichitra 2019
30 November, 6pm
Harrow Arts Centre, London

Luxika Ellalan | Kannaa
30 November, 7pm
Roding Arts Theatre, London

Performance

November

Sadler’s Wells | Darbar Festival
23 – 26 November
Sadler’s Wells, London

Sona Lisa | Breaking Ground
30 November, 8pm
mac, Birmingham

December

GemArts | Bollywood Dhamaka!
1 December, 4.30pm
Sage Gateshead, Gateshead

GemArts | Goodness Gracious Me with Nikesh Shukla, Nina Wadia and Konnie Huq
8 December 2019, 1.30pm
Sage Gateshead, Gateshead

Workshop

December

Vena Ramphal | Design Your Dance Career
3 December
Richmond, London

Opportunities

Siobhan Davies Dance | Next Choreography course 2019/20
Application deadline: Sunday 1 December

Classes

Looking 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.

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.

Kala Sangam | Bhangra Dance Classes in partnership with Punjabi Roots Academy
Wednesdays, 6pm
St Peter's House, Bradford

Kala Sangam | Dhol Drumming Classes in partnership with Punjabi Roots Academy
Wednesdays, 7pm
St Peter's House, Bradford

Kala Sangam | Tamil Language Classes
Saturdays, 9.30am
St Peter's House, Bradford

Kala Sangam | Bharanatyam Academy with Santosh Menon
Saturdays, 10.30am
St Peter's House, Bradford

Kala Sangam | Bollywood Dance Classes with Zoobin Surty Karma Dance Company
Tuesdays, 7pm
St Peter's House, Bradford

Natyanjali Dance School | Bharatanatyam
Fridays, 5.30pm
The Hub Meeting Room, Cambridge

Natyanjali Dance School | Bharatanatyam (Beginners)
Children: Wednesdays, 6pm
Adults: Sundays, 7pm
Lichfield Road Community Hall, Cambridge

Sonia Sabri Company | Kathak with Sonia Sabri (Level 1, 11 weeks)
Wednesdays from 15 January, 7pm
Baithak House, Birmingham

Sonia Sabri Company | Tabla with Sarvar Sabri (Level 1, 12 weeks)
Saturdays from 11 January, 12pm
Baithak House, Birmingham

Sonia Sabri Company | Kathak with Sonia Sabri (12 weeks)
Saturdays from 11 January, 12pm
Baithak House, Birmingham

Sonia Sabri Company | Classical Bollywood (11 weeks)
Tuesdays from 14 January, 6-7pm & 7-8pm
Baithak House, Birmingham

Srishti - Nina Rajarani Dance School | Bharatanatyam, Karnatic Vocal and Kathak Classes
Saturdays from 14 September
Harrow Arts Centre, Middlesex

Images (from top):
Hampstead Heath Photoshoot, 2019. Credit: Souvid Datta.
RUMINATION at Victoria and Albert Museum. Credit: Simon Richardson.
APOTHEOSIS at The British Museum. Credit: Simon Richardson.
SPARKPLUGS at Watermans Art Centre. Credit: Simon Richardson.