Our Heart-filled Heritage

After a year of zoom calls, virtual rehearsals, and a lot of alone time, it feels as if we are constantly connected, yet still isolated. This livestream performance represents the many ways in which we have been navigating this unprecedented time, working to channel our art in order to connect when it is more important than ever before. Tune in at 4pm PST for an introductory kathak workshop and experience the way that kathak dance can ground the body, focus the mind, and uplift the spirit. Find a hard floor or surface to dance on and get ready to sweat! Then watch as Leela Dance Collective ensemble members take kathak to the streets, performing against the backdrop of our unusually quiet cityscapes. Featuring excerpts from California Gharana, this innovative repertoire represents the work of legendary kathak artist Pandit Chitresh Das. Finally, don’t miss the live Q&A session with Leela Dance Collective ensemble dancers! Hear about how they have been surviving and thriving as a collective during the pandemic, and what it is like for this next generation of dancers to bridge the past and future, carrying the tradition forward.