Artist Talk by Leela Samson - "Rasa - Journey to Aesthetics of Personal Expression"

Tuesday, October 10, 2017 at 7:00 pm

Tickets $5- $15, Pay As Able

Pangea World Theater Studio| 711 W. Lake St. #101 Minneapolis, MN 55408

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Co-hosted by Kala Vandanam and Pangea World Theater

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Join us for an intimate conversation with one of India’s premier artists, Leela Samson, as she reflects on a nearly five decade long career as a soloist, ensemble choreographer, teacher, arts administrator and arts advocate.

 

About Leela Samson

 

Leela Samson is a dancer, teacher, writer and choreographer of Bharatanatyam. Leela joined Kalakshetra as a young child and her formative years were spent imbibing the nuances of Bharatanatyam and related arts at the feet of celebrated gurus at Kalakshetra, one of the premier institution of arts in India. Over years of independent work, her dance has metamorphosed from representing the best of her alma mater into a unique personal expression, which is at once unostentatious, serene, philosophical and joyful.

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A well-loved and respected teacher, Leela has also trained several students who are now accomplished dancers and teachers in their own right. In 1995, she formed a group called Spanda, to explore group dynamics inBharatanatyam. Leela has been the subject of two documentary films, Sanchari and The Flowering Tree. She has also authored several articles as well as two books, Rhythm in Joy (1987) and Rukmini Devi: A Life (2010). She is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Padmashri and Sangeet Natak Akademi awards from the Government of India, the Kalaimamani from the government of Tamil Nadu, and Natya Kala Acharya from the prestigious Madras Music Academy. Leela has served as Director of the Kalakshetra Foundation, as chairperson of India’s apex cultural body, the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and the Central Board of Film Certification.

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