Leela Dance Collective’s events, and classes to celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-

For the connoisseurs of Kathak dance and cultural events, here is some good news. The Leela Dance Collective has announced its performances, community events, and online programming schedule to celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.

Based in Los Angeles, Leela Dance Collective is an internationally touring Kathak dance company that combines classical dance from North India with contemporary influences. The dance and culture events will be held throughout Greater Los Angeles and online from May 2 to 23, 2024. The events will take place in Santa Monica, Venice Beach, UCLA, Culver City, and beyond. Some of the free pop-up performances will be held on May 2, 4 and 5

Leela Dance Collective was founded in 2016 by Rukhmani Mehta, Seibi Lee, and Rachna Nivas, dedicated to preserving the traditions and technique of classical kathak dance while also sharing the art form with a wide audience of dance and music lovers. Leela began as a collective artistic experiment and has grown to encompass a touring company, youth company, training center, and The Leela Foundation, which is the only endowment fund dedicated to kathak dance and Hindustani music in the US.

Leela Dance Collective is an internationally touring dance company that advances Kathak, a classical dance form from north India. Through traditional works and cross-genre collaborations, the Collective brings the richness and depth of Indian classical dance to contemporary audiences worldwide.

Leela Dance Collective has garnered critical acclaim and engages some of today’s leading dancers and musicians, as well as collaborative artists of other genres. Leela Dance Collective has created groundbreaking productions including SPEAK, Son of the Wind, ReSound, and more. Past highlights include appearances at Ford Theaters, The Broad Stage, Kimmel Center, the Green Music Center, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the National Center for the Performing Arts in Bombay, Maui Arts & Cultural Center, and NC State LIVE. Leela Dance Collective is supported by the California Arts Council, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, and New Music USA.

The performance highlights of May 2024 include free Leela Dance Collective pop-up performances in Culver City, Venice, Santa Monica, and the UCLA campus; Imagine India, a showcase performance by the Leela Youth Dance Company (Artistic Director Rukhmani Mehta); and workshops for UCLA students. Leela Dance Collective will also host Let’s Talk Kathak, a series of online conversations featuring Kathak artists from Greater Los Angeles.

“We celebrate Indian-American culture and art every day, but Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month offers a special opportunity to connect with our Greater Los Angeles community. Leela Dance Collective, our artists, and our Youth Dance Company are so excited to welcome our loyal supporters and new audiences into the beautiful world of kathak dance,” said Rukhmani Mehta, Co-Artistic Director of Leela Dance Collective.

Leela Dance Collective Celebrates AAPI Heritage Month

Event Details

Thursday, May 2 at Noon and 2pm

Leela Dance Collective Pop Up Performance @ UCLA, in partnership with Center for India and South Asia (FREE) Janss Terrace, UCLA Campus, 308 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095

Thursday, May 2 at 7 pm

Leela Dance Collective at UCLA JoyFest (UCLA First Thursdays)

Westwood Village, 1031 Broxton Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90024

Saturday, May 4 12 pm, 2 pm & 5 pm

Leela Dance Collective Pop-Up Performance @ Culver City (FREE)

Culver City Town Plaza

Sunday, May 5 10 am & 11 am

Leela Dance Collective Pop Up Performance @ Venice Beach (FREE)

Find Leela Dance Collective at the busking or artist spots on the Venice Beach Boardwalk

Sunday, May 5 3 pm & 4 pm

Leela Dance Collective Pop Up Performance @ Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade (FREE)

Find Leela Dance Collective at the busking or artist spots on 3rd Street Promenade

Saturday, May 11 4:30 pm & 7:30 pm

Imagine India featuring Leela Youth Dance Company

Agoura Hills Performing Arts & Education Center

28545 W Driver Ave, Agoura Hills, CA 91301

Tickets: In-Person $25-50 and Live Stream $10

Saturday, May 18, 5-7 pm

Kathak Master Class with Rukhmani Mehta

Electric Lodge 1416 Electric Ave, Venice, CA 90291 (FREE)

The class is ideal for dancers and dance enthusiasts with some previous experience. Dancers from all forms and backgrounds are welcome.

May 7-23

Online: Let’s Talk Kathak: A Conversation Series Hosted by Rukhmani Mehta, Co-Artistic Director of Leela Dance Collective

Tuesdays & Fridays at Noon PST

Featuring Smita Alves, Prachi Dixit, Sonal Kumar Turakhia, Bhairavi Kumar, Rachana Upadhyay, Shweta Saraswat, and Anvita Sharma (FREE)

 

[Leela Dance Collective; photo by Babita Sangeeta.]