Vilaya 2025
Nandanik Dance Troupe presents Vilaya, The Confluence Festival of Indian classical dances.
Festival Curated by Nandini Mandal
Saturday April 12, 2025 from 4 pm to 7 pm
New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.
Parking: Allegheny Center Parking/Street Parking
This dance festival , which incidentally coincides with the Chaitra Navaratri and Ramnavami, will be featuring the entire Hanuman Chalisa, a Bharatanatyam solo by Pavitra Bhat, DasaMahaavidyaa by Nandini Mandal, Subhajit Khush Das and Nandanik Dance Troupe, and Vaishnavite themes in Odissi by Guru Bichitranandan Swain and his Rudrakshya Troupe. It will be an enchanting evening of stories from far, in colorful costumes and amazing music in various languages.
The festival is supported in part by the Preserving Diverse Cultures grant from PCA and the Creative Sector grant from GPAC.
Ticket information below.
This event is Supported by Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and PNC Bank.
Tickets:
General: $25
Senior : $20
Children (6 +) and Students (with ID): $10
Meet The Artists
Nandini Mandal
Nandini Mandal is a renowned dancer and teacher of Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance form. She started learning Bharatanatyam under the guidance of her teacher, Snigdha Pal. Kalamandalam Venkitt, and Preetha Venkitt of Kolkata India. She specialized in Abhinaya or expressions under the legendary Guru Dr. Sonal Mansingh. She received the Artist Opportunity Grant in 2016 and completed a master workshop in Advanced Kathakali and Mohiniattam dance forms in India. She is training in Manipuri under Sanjib Bhattacharya. She has choreographed and performed at various cultural festivals in India and at different locations in the US. She is constantly expanding her creativity by collaborating with local artistes and performing in schools, colleges and at other public forums. Through the Nandanik Dance Troupe she conceptualized and curated the first Indian classical dance festival VILAYA in 2018 with a two-day long series on dance, exhibition and panel discussion involving ten dancers. She has choreographed and directed dance dramas including Chitrangada, Shyama , Raja , Card Country , Prakriti - Matrika Mrittika, Chandalika. She was the cultural ambassador of India with the World Affairs Council, UNO, Pittsburgh chapter (in 2009 and 2012) Her philanthropic activities include fundraising through Dance for Cure for Leukemia Lymphoma Foundation in 2015, and American Cancer Society from 2017 to 2022. With her students, she has performed at the World Square, STEAM CARNIVAL, WPXI Holiday Parade, Bicentennial celebration of Pittsburgh, Rally for Unity, Pittsburgh Festival, for India's past President Abdul Kalam, and at many museums, schools and universities including the YMCA, Western Pennsylvania School for the Blind.
Nandini participated in Pittsburgh Women’s Leadership Experience (PWLE) as a panelist, in responsibility as a grantee of the GPAC Lift grant. Her most rewarding event was to present a Bharatanatyam based musical on the life of Christ before Mother Teresa in 1993. A leukemia survivor, Nandini is a dance activist, and is now focused on several outreach activities such as teaching dance to rescued boys of Child in Need Institute, CINI, Kolkata. Recently she also volunteered to teach after school program at Garfield’s Assemble as part of Project-logue Home Language using dance as a language of expression, conducted the Rhythmscapes presentation at the STEAM carnival at Children’s Museum, presented Chandalika at Welcome America Festival at U I UC, and led the Nandanik Dance troupe at the WPXI Holiday Parade in downtown Pittsburgh.
Pavitra K Bhat
TOne of the most distinguished disciples of the renowned Bharatanatyam exponent Guru Shri DeepakMazumdar took his initial training from Kalanjali under Kumari Vasantha at present continuing his training under Smt. Nithyakalyani Vaidhyanathan , Chennai.
Clarity and geometry marked this slim dancer’ s movements, while his footwork was powerful.“ said The Hindu. Termed as an effortless dancer with precise movements Pavitra has been appreciated for his pure dance and sensitive Abhinaya by critics, connoisseurs and peers.
To fulfil his urge to teach and spread knowledge to local talents he began P.A.V.I. (Pavitra Art Visual Institute), A Bharatanatyam Institute established in Dombivli - a suburb of Mumbai.
Pavitra holds a Masters in Performing Arts Degree in Bharatantyam and is also ICCR Empanelled artist and ‘ A Grade’ artist of Doordarshan.
Pavitra has performed across the country for prestigious festivals like the SNA’ s Nrutya Prathibha, Khajuraho festival, NCPA, Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, Habitat centr , IIC, Kalaghoda festival , Music Academy Ato mention a few. Globally, Pavitra has toured Australia, Dubai, Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia and USA for performances also toured all over India for showing his talent.
For his constant efforts , he has been awarded and recognised with Acharya Vishwanath Dev Sharma Talent search Award by Vedic Heritage, New York.
Most Recently awarded with the prestigious Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar from Sangeet Natak Academi for outstanding contribution as a young Bharatanatyam Artist and Yuva Prathibha from Utsav Cultural Foundation , New Delhi. Additionally, the Lakshmi Vishwanathan Award for Abhinaya by Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai, and YUVA KALA BHARATHI – Bharath Kalachaar , Chennai
Odissi by Guru Bichitrananda Swain and Rudrakshya Foundation
Bichitrananda Swain (Guru & Choreographer)
“One of the most important aspects of rudrakshya’s work is to promote wider acceptance of the male aesthetic in Odissi dance. I had the great fortune to study for two and a half years at the Odissi Research Center under the guidance of Padma Vibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. Both he and his prime disciple, Smt. Sanjukta Panigrahi, were very influential in my life. Through Guruji’s impeccable technique and incredible skill I understood the inner science of dance and music. I wanted to shift the balance in Odissi from being solely a women’s profession to being something which could be practiced with equal success by both men and women.Anyone from any corner of the universe is welcome to Rudraksh to share our art. That is the true message of Rudrakshya Foundation the world is one family and through sharing our art we promote universal brotherhood.”
Rohita Pradhan (Administrator & Technical Export) provides the stoic anchor to Rudrakshya Foundation. He is the managing director, Technical Export and administrator of Rudrakshya Foundation. He is also a trained and promising Mrudanga player who started learning at the age of 9 in his village under the guidance of Guru Sri Souri Bisoi. He started learning Mardal at the age of fifteen in Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, Bhubaneswar. He has completed a Master of Philosophy in Mardal. He is a well-known musician in the field of Odissi Mrudanga (Kholo). He has played Mardal and Mrudanga in various places such as Andhra University Campus, Krishna Gana Sabha, Guru Gopal Chandra Panda Odissi Foundation, 9th Toshali National Mahotsav, Golden Jubilee, Konark dance and music festival.
Santosh Ram started learning Odissi at the age of fifteen and now he is the disciple of Guru Bichitrananda Swain.He completed his Masters of Philosophy in Odissi from Utkal University of Culture, Bhubaneswar. He got training under Sri Lingaraj Pradhan and Sri Amulya Kumar Balabantaray at Rudrakshya Foundation, and also got trained under Guru Smt. Snehaprava Samantray, Guru Sri Niranjan Rout, Guru Sri Naba Kishore Mishra and Guru Sri Manoranjan Pradhan, Guru Sri Kanduri Charan Behera, Guru Sri Lingaraj Swain and Guru Sri Pankaj Kumar Pradhan in his University during his graduation and post graduation. His international tours include Australia, New Zealand, Sydney, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, South Korea and China (Beijing) with Rudrakshya. He is the recipient of Senior Scholarship under Ministry of Culture, Govt of India, New Delhi.
Samir Kumar Panigrahi is a full time dancer with Rudrakshya Foundation and trains with Guru Bichitrananda Swain. Samir started learning odissi at Saraswati Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, Bhadrak. He joined Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya (Bhubaneswar) to further his study in odissi under the guidance of Guru Sri Nabakishore Mishra, Guru Sri Manoranjan Pradhan and Sri Pankaj Kumar Pradha. Presently he has completed in Odissi dance under the guidance of Guru Sri Manoranja Pradhan and Lingara Swain. He has received several awards and has performed in numerous national and international festivals taking in Australia, New Zealand, Swede 2017, USA, France, China, Malaysia and Srilanka.
Debashree Patnaik is a student of Rudraksha.Trained under Guru Bichitrananda Swain and Yudhishthir Nayak. She received several awards such as the National Youth award, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. The State Youth award, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of Orissa. Senior National Scholarship for Odissi, Ministry of culture and Tourism, Government of India. Rajiv Gandhi Pratibha Puraskar from the Governor, Government of Orissa. Biju Patnaik award from the Chief Minister of Orissa. 44th Sringarmani award from the Sur Sringar Samsad, Mumbai Doordarshan Graded artist for Orissa. Nrutya Visharad from Akhil Mohan Vidyalaya. She is a Doordarshan graded artist. She has performed extensively with Rudrakshya in India and France, USA, Italy and South Korea.
Roji Swain is an odissi dancer and student of Guru Bichitrananda Swain at Rudraskhya Foundation. He holds a Masters in Philosophy in Odissi Dance from Utkal University of Culture Sanskriti Vihar Bhubaneswar (Odisha). He has performed in numerous states in India and countries around the world. He is a Doordarshan graded artist for Odisha, SPICMACAY panel artist, Navapalla panel artist, and EZCC panel artist. Some of his numerous awards include: Nabagunjan award (2018), Srikhetra nrutyangana award, Nrutya charusile (2019), Kumari award (2011), Maa Cuttack chandi award (2022), Utkal mani pandit gopabandhu das & yuva prativa samman (2022), Nrutya koumudi award (2021), Adi guru pankaj charan das debadasi award (2020), Ramacharita Manas samman (2021), Mahari award (2015), Samooran sadhika prativa samman (2024), Pragyan prativa samman (2024), Aark gourav samman (2023), Mother Teresa seva samman (2023).
Roosha Mandal
Roosha Mandal is a graduating medical student at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. She has been training in Bharatanatyam for the past 16 years and Navanritya for the past 10 years at the Nandanik Dance Academy. She has blossomed into a regular instructor teaching the junior and senior levels for the last 6 years. In India, Roosha attended master classes in Kathakali and Mohiniattam as well as Bharatanatyam under Gurus Kalamandalam Venkitt and Preetha Venkitt of Calcutta. In addition, she has completed workshops under Guru Dr. Sonal Mansingh in Abhinaya (expressions), Guru Darshana Javeri in Manipuri, Pavitra Bhat in Bharatanatyam. She is currently under tutelage of Kalakshetra Amarnath Ghosh in Bharatanatyam, and Sri Sanjib Bhattacharya in Manipuri. Roosha also underwent rigorous training in jazz-lyrical, modern, ballet and hip-hop dance at the Thomas Studio of Performing Arts and The Academy of Dance by Lori for several years and performed these dance forms in annual recitals.
In 2012-13, she completed an intensive apprenticeship program at Kelly-Strayhorn Theater in contemporary dance with renowned traveling companies. Over the years, Roosha traveled with Nandanik Dance Academy and Troupe to perform in different corners of the USA. She played key roles in the Nandanik dance Troupe's productions including the VILAYA festival in 2018-2019. She has performed in the Bicentennial of Pittsburgh, Three-Rivers Regatta, Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, Western PA School for the Blind, Phipps Conservatory, Bayer International, Pittsburgh International Folk Festival, India Day, Bengali Association of Pittsburgh, and at numerous schools and colleges in the Greater Pittsburgh area through the World Affairs Council. She also taught Indian dance to children in a summer camp at the Thelma Lovette YMCA in Pittsburgh. Roosha graduated in the Sciences and Humanities Scholar program and is a recipient of the Jack G. Buncher Memorial Presidential Scholarship from Carnegie Mellon University, where she choreographed and performed every semester with Dancers Symposium.
