Artists at the Center: Dance Tantra

"Nritya Kavya Chitra- a garland of dance, poems and art," an hour-long dance event, will be directed by a renowned Indian artist, Piyali Biswas De, and presented by Sammamish-based academy "Dance Tantra" students and other local artists. Piyali is a popular Indian classical dancer, choreographer, WA humanities speaker, artistic entrepreneur, and community leader. Dance Tantra, led by Piyali, is one of the largest Indian classical dance academies on the east side of Seattle. 

Performance Lineup

1. Pushpanjali ( group dance)
2. Todhayam ( group dance)
3. Mishra Alarippu on Clay pot ( solo dance)
4. Tishra Alarippu ( group dance)
5. Ganapati Kautvam (group dance)
6. Awakening Devi (group dance)
7. Prakritim Paramam ( Solos, duet & Trio dance)

 Prakritim Paramam- quest for the cosmos in nature is the event's highlight. "Prakritim" means nature, and "paramam" means supreme. This presentation is to realize the power of a formless god within nature. The production mainly flows with the First non-European Literature Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath's words. Some incredible collaborations with several Seattle-based Indian artists are also involved here. The choreography is based on Bharatanatyam's movements and expressions. Also, it involves very specific 'Rabindra-nritya", the first 'modern Indian dance.' Prakritim Paramam details are as follows:

Script and concept: Piyali Biswas De
Music Directors: Riddhi Datta and Swapnendu Kar
Singers: Srikanth Gopalakrishnan, Ashim Bhaumik, Deepa Banerjee and Gaurav Chanda 
Tabla: Manoj Deshpande; Pakhawaj: Kuntal De ; Sitar: Sampada Bhalerao; Nattuvangam: Utsa Ghosh Kundu 
Voiceover: Shreya Datta; Dance Director: Piyali Biswas De and Choreographers: Piyali Biswas De and Yamini Varadarajulu Marni
Solo Dancers: Piyali Biswas De and Tonoya Biswas
Duet: Piyali Biswas De & Yamini Varadarajulu Marni

Music owned by Dance Tantra

Choreographer: Piyali Biswas De

Costume Design: Piyali Biswas De

1. Pushpanjali: Aarohi Bhaskar , Anjali Jyoti Deka,  Advika Motwani, Anisha Paul, Esha vainavi Ponnam, Ekaa Kashyap ,Lavina Abhilash ,Sayanthika Sree Suresh , Samridhi Sinha
2. Todhayam: Avani Vallish, Naisha Singh, Poorvika Suresh, Sanskriti Sahu, Tvisha Raj, Vedika Devarajan
3. Alarippu: Ahana Nanda Amyesha Yadav Ahilya Dhole Aleysha Yadav Drishya Sahu Lashya Chintamani Shwetha Chandrasekhar Triyana Biswas
4. Mishra Alarippu: Piyali Biswas
5. Ganapati Kautvam: Ahana Nanda , Ahilya Dhole, Triyana Biswas
6. Awakening Devi: Piyali Biswas, Nandika Devarajan, Giya Agarwal, Sanskriti Sinha, Isrita Varshney

Art Exhibit: Sandip Debnath

Emcee: Vasudha Sharma

Marketing & Adminstration: Sanskriti Sinha

More info on Dance Tantra at their website.

Artists At the Center is a multi-year collaboration between Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and Seattle Center, with support from Uptown Arts & Culture Coalition and the communities adjacent to Seattle Center campus. The project is made possible by a 10-year grant from Climate Pledge Arena and Seattle Kraken.

Join us as we introduce emerging and established artists and celebrate their talent on a newly revitalized Seattle Center campus. Artists are given a performance opportunity, allowing them to connect with new audiences, display their talents and advance their careers. Visitors to campus and the surrounding neighborhood benefit from surprising and delightful pop-up performances throughout the year. Each year, artists are selected with an equity and social justice lens, ensuring equitable representation for underserved and emerging artists. Artistic genres include music, dance, theater, demonstrations, and multi-disciplinary work.