The Indo-American Arts Council presents the 18th Annual Erasing Borders Dance Festival on Saturday, September 19, 2026, and Sunday, September 20, 2026, at 6PM at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, 68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues. Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased online at https://iaac.us/ebdf2026-ibs/.

 

New York’s premier Indian dance festival, Erasing Borders, proudly hosted by the Indo-American Arts Council, features performances by eminent Bharatanatyam, Kathak, and Odissi artists as well as US-based dance companies. Saturday, September 19, features Bharatanatyam and Kalaripayattu group Radhe Jaggie and Team, a Kuchipudi solo by Sreelakshmy Kallungal Govardhanan, and Kathak trio Shila Mehta. Sunday, September 20, will include a performance by Dr. Neena Prasad Mohiniyattam group, the Odissi trio Arushi Mudgal, and a contemporary solo by Preeti Vasudevan. Experience the magic of the festival by reserving your tickets for this unforgettable two-night celebration.

 

Performance Lineup

Saturday, September 19, 2026 | 6-8PM, The Kaye Playhouse

Ganesh Vasudev and Nitya Narasimhan: Bharatanatyam duo

Sreelakshmy Kallungal Govardhanan: Kuchipudi solo

Shila Mehta, Salonee Satagar, Sanchita Dighe: Kathak trio

Preeti Vasudevan: Contemporary solo

Radhe Jaggi and Team, Bharatanatyam and Kalaripayattu group

 

Sunday, September 20, 2026 | 6-8PM, The Kaye Playhouse

Radha Varadan: Kathak solo

Neena Prasad and Musicians: Mohiniyattam group

Aparna Sindhoor & Anil Natyaveda: Sindhoor Natya, Navarasa group

Arushi & Sawani Mudgal: Odissi trio

 

Additional Programming:

Fifth Annual Dr. Sunil Kothari Lecture | September 24, 2026 at 6PM

Bruno Walter Auditorium, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

The Balanced Dance as a Journey Towards Inner Stillness and Equanimity by Rama Vaidyanathan

 

About the Artists

Radhe Jaggi is a Bharatanatyam artist whose dance is an exquisite balance of grace, tradition, and depth. A disciple of Smt. Leela Samson, she trained at Kalakshetra Foundation and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Arts Management from Dakshina Chitra, Chennai. Rooted in the classical rigor of Bharatanatyam, her artistry is deeply influenced by her lifelong practice of yoga, lending her movements fluidity, strength, and precision.

 

Radhe’s journey as a performer began in the temples of Tamil Nadu, where she spent the first two years of her career performing in over sixty temples. Since then, she has graced some of the most esteemed stages in India. Her international presence has been equally distinguished, with performances at Cambridge University (UK), the House of Commons in London, the Gwanju Arts Festival in South Korea, and venues across Malaysia, North America, and Europe. As a former member of Spanda Dance Company, she toured the United States in 2017 for the production Nadi – Of Love and Longing. Her contributions to the classical arts have been recognized with several accolades, including the Natya Ratna from Trinity Fine Arts, Chennai, the Rukmini Devi Endowment Award from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, and the Natya Kalai Arasi title from Tamizh Isai Sangam.

 

Dr. Neena Prasad is recognized as a distinguished dancer of the nation, noted for her evocative and intellectually nuanced choreography, which seamlessly integrates tradition with contemporary sensibilities, thereby expanding the expressive and thematic horizons of Mohiniyattam. She is the foremost representative of Mohiniyattam in the country, performing in major and prestigious Dance Festivals in India and abroad. She is a rare blend of strong footing in academic studies and the fine aesthetic sense of a performing artist. A doctorate in dance and a post-doctoral fellow from Kerala, she belongs to the bunch of acclaimed dance scholars and academicians of the country.

 

Shila Mehta is a distinguished Kathak artist, scholar, performer, and pedagogue with over four decades of experience in performance, education, and research. Trained in the Lucknow gharana, her mentors include Pt. Vijay Shankar, Pt. Birju Maharaj, Pt. Suresh Talwalkar (Taal-Laya), and Dr. Kanak Rele (Natya Shastra), Founder and Artistic Director of Nupur Zankar Academy of Performing Arts and Research Centre, Mumbai, with an international presence across Europe, the UK, and the USA -performed widely at prestigious festivals in India and abroad, including those organised by Sangeet Natak Akademi and ICCR A noted researcher, she received the Government of India Senior Fellowship for pioneering work on Charani ballad singing and its manifestation in 'Charani Kathak.' An author and PhD scholar at the University of Mumbai, she continues to advocate Indian classical dance as a means of cultural connection and holistic well-being.

 

Sreelakshmy Kallungal Govardhanan is a renowned Kuchipudi dancer, choreographer, and researcher from Kerala, India. Trained in the traditional sampradaya from Guru Pasumarti Rattaiah Sarma, she blends classical rigor with contemporary thought. Known for her grace, precise footwork, and expressive abhinaya, her performances unite tradition with innovation and philosophical depth. She is the founder and artistic director of Avanthika Space for Dance, a centre for learning, performance, and research. A recipient of honours including the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar and the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Kalashree award, she is a graded Doordarshan and ICCR empanelled artiste and a trained psychologist professionally.

 

Arushi Mudgal is an acclaimed Odissi dancer and choreographer celebrated for her technical virtuosity and innovative approach to tradition. Trained under Guru Madhavi Mudgal, she has received international recognition, with her work Mūrta–Amūrta being named among The New York Times’ Top Ten Dances of 2018. After watching her performance in New York, Alastair Macaulay, former Chief Dance Critic of The New York Times, wrote: “I was amazed by how fully she seemed one of India’s most remarkable dancers.”

 

In 2008, Arushi was the only artist from India invited by the legendary Pina Bausch to perform at the Internationales Tanz Festival in Germany. She has performed at major festivals across the USA, UK, Europe, South America, and Asia. She has received several awards and accolades, including the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar from the Government of India. She has been featured as one of the ‘Game Changers of India’ by India Today.

 

Sawani Mudgal is a distinguished Hindustani classical vocalist known for her versatility as a performer, music educator, and collaborator. Trained under her father, Pandit Madhup Mudgal, at the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in New Delhi, she was awarded the gold medal for her Master’s degree in Music from Khairagarh University. Sawani has performed at prestigious venues in the USA, including the Kennedy Center and the Wolf Trap Performing Arts Center, the UK, Spain, France, Germany, Belgium, Reunion Island, among others. Her international collaborations include the Indo-Flamenco production directed by Carlos Saura in Spain, performances with the Belgian ensemble Ragini Trio, and the Indo-Brazilian project Samwaad presented across Brazil, France, and the Netherlands. In India, she has appeared at major festivals including the Khusrau-Kabir Festival, Bhakti Utsav, and Mahindra Kabira Festival. She also conducts music workshops across the world.

 

Trained in Odissi dance under the watchful eye of Guru Madhavi Mudgal at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in New Delhi, Shalakha Rai performs extensively within India and abroad. Some of her significant solo performances include the Anandotsavam Festival (UK), Odissi Dance Festival (Auckland), Festival of Indian Dance (New Zealand), Natarani Festival (Ahmedabad), and Abhivyakti at NMACC (Mumbai). As the principal dancer of her guru’s ensemble, she has performed at leading international platforms including the Fall for Dance Festival in New York, the Darbar Festival in the United Kingdom, and the Festival of India in Spain, among others.

 

Preeti Vasudevan is an award-winning and critically acclaimed choreographer. Preeti's provocative and unconventional storytelling challenges the status quo of dance-theater, bridging ancient traditions with the contemporary world. Her provocative works dialogue at the nexus of East-West collaboration, bringing contemporary identity to the forefront of global expression. Preeti's works have been supported by prominent organizations like TED; Centre National de la Danse, Paris; Lincoln Center, NY; Guggenheim Works & Process, NY; The Joyce Foundation, NY, to name a few. Preeti is the 2018 Arts Ambassador of the US Department of State with cultural diplomacy programs and serves on the New York Lincoln Center's Artistic Committee advocating representation and diversity in the arts. Preeti created her arts impact non-profit, Thresh, in 2005, as a platform inviting multidisciplinary artistic collaborators and thought leaders to work towards a common voice on issues that impact our global society with a focus on women and youth.

 

Ganesh Vasudev is a Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer and researcher who has been performing his own works for the last 15 years. He has been training for more than 30 years and under the guidance of Bragha Bessel since 2009.

 

Nitya Narasimhan is a Bharatanatyam artist from California, USA. As the artistic director of Prayukti Arts, she is actively building a community for Indian arts in the Bay Area. Prayukti Arts was awarded the Sunnyvale City Arts Award in 2024. Nitya is a student of Smt. Shweta Prachande. With a foundation rooted in tradition and a commitment to thoughtful practice, Nitya continues to engage with Bharatanatyam as a student, performer, teacher, and curator.

 

Popularly performed within the Kuchipudi repertoire, this work is a visualization of the iconic composition of Oothukadu Venkata Kavi through the Bharatanatyam idiom. It paints a vivid portrait of Krishna's beauty, a radiance said to surpass a crore Manmathas. Adorned in emerald-studded silk, he appears as a cowherd and protector, guardian of his people and source of endless joy. With the flute resting gently in his hands, he draws all beings toward him through compassion and effortless charm. Celebrated as the jewel among children, he is also the eternal one, without beginning, middle, or end. Lotus-eyed and luminous, he delights in Radha's presence and fills the gopis with infinite joy. Through layered abhinaya and dynamic nritta, this work seeks to embody the many-hued brilliance of the Maragatha Manimaya Krishna.

 

Aparna Sindhoor & Anil Natyaveda

Aparna Sindhoor, Artistic Director of Sindhoor Natya - Navarasa, is a Mysore-style Bharatanatyam exponent. She creates a unique style of dance-theater and has worked in films with Oscar-winning Anthony Dod Mantle. She has a Ph.D. in Dance (Boston University) and is a recipient of NPN and CAC Fellowships. Anil Natyaveda, Co-Director of Sindhoor Natya - Navarasa, is a leading Kalari artist. He has choreographed for films and for Franco Dragone's circus. He is a recipient of the Natyaratnam, the Shastri Indo-Canadian award, and the Alliance for California Traditional Arts grant. Sanjib Bhattacharya, distinguished Manipuri dance exponent and President's Award recipient, is trained under eminent gurus and has performed internationally. Formerly based in Cleveland, now in California's Bay Area, he is a choreographer, educator, and founder of Movements in Motion, integrating classical Manipuri with contemporary practice.

 

Disciple of Gurus Smt. Nirupama Rajendra and Sri. T.D. Rajendra, Radha Varadan is a creative artist dedicated to the evolution of Kathak. Trained from a young age in classical ballet, Kathak, and modern dance, she has been recognized internationally for her work in translating ballet variations into the traditional Kathak vocabulary and for her research on injury prevention in Indian Classical Dance. A finalist for the 2025 Pt. Birju Maharaj Yuva Puraskar, she has performed worldwide at prestigious dance festivals and continues to perform globally with the renowned Abhinava Dance Company in Bangalore. She has recently been awarded the Fulbright Nehru Award to continue her scholarship in Kathak.

 

The Kathak tradition has evolved such that there is typically a clear separation between nritta and abhinaya in the items of the classical repertoire. But what if the bhava of a young nayika was interwoven into the Tarana structure, one that is typically only nritta-based? The result is a beautiful confluence of storytelling and the highlights of the Kathak technique, creating a beautiful visual as elements of Sringara are woven into rhythmic tukdas and footwork. This uniquely crafted Tarana is in Raag Bhageshree set to Jhap Taal, choreographed by Gurus Smt Nirupama Rajendra and Sri TD Rajendra.

 

More About Dr. Sunil Kothari Lecture

Padma Shri Dr. Sunil Kothari was a frequent visitor to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in the Dance Division in his lifetime, and he contributed greatly to scholarship on Indian classical dance. This lecture, which was initiated in his honor following his death, has been an important way to remember him and to carry his work forward. Padma Shri Dr. Kothari also participated in the Erasing Borders Festival

and covered it in published reviews. This year, Rama Vaidyanathan will be the featured presenter. Her

work in the field of Bharatanatyam dance is groundbreaking, in both classical and innovative forms.

 

This event is being co-sponsored, as it has been for the last four years, by the Indo-American Arts Council.

 

Rama Vaidyanathan is one of the foremost Bharatanatyam dancers of her generation. She trained intensively under the legendary dancer Yamini Krishnamurthy and the celebrated Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan. In a performance career spanning more than 40 years, Rama has developed her own individual style without forsaking the core principles of her dance form. Her technique is grounded, and yet there is a fresh approach to the innumerable dance compositions that she has added to the Bharatanatyam repertoire. ramavaidyanathan.com

 

About the Indo-American Arts Council

The IAAC supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk, and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. We work cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources, and funding. Our focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform, and produce their work here. For more information, visit iaac.us.