Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know India’s Consul General Meets Community Leaders In Pittsburgh I ndia’s Consul General in NewYork Binaya S. Pradhan, visited Pittsburgh July 12, 2025. He was hosted by the AHINSA Foundation in Pittsburgh, where he met several prominent Indian diaspora leaders and friends of India from diverse walks of life, according to an X Post from the Consulate. “Special thanks to Founder-President Mr. Som Sharma for organizing the event and promoting Gandhiji’s ideals under the AHINSA banner,” the X post said. Founded in 2000, the Alliance for Humanitarian Initiatives Non-violence and Spiritual Advancement, AHINSA, says on its website that it is “committed to addressing the pressing issues in our society and creating lasting change. Our focus is broad, encom- passing various programs that contribute to our mission.” The Pennsylvania chapter of AHINSA describes itself on a Facebook account as “An Interfaith, Inter- cultural forum for Peace, Nonviolence and Sprititual- ity.” PHOTO:X @indiainNewYork India’s Consul General Binaya S. Pradhan being greeted by members of AHINSA in Pittsburgh, July 12, 2025. By a StaffWriter Indo-American Arts Council Presents Erasing Borders Dance Festival September 20-21, 2025 At Ailey Citigroup Theater T he Indo-American Arts Council, IAAC, based in NewYork, announced July 14, 2025, its upcoming Erasing Borders Dance Festival, a two-day event scheduled for Saturday, September 20, 2025 and Sunday, September 21, 2025 at 6pm at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, 405W 55th St, NewYork, NY. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased online at iaac.us/erasing-borders- dance-festival-2025/. The 17th annual Erasing Borders Dance Festival will include performances by eminent Bharatanatyam artists and several US based dance companies. The first night of the festival on Saturday, September 20, will feature acclaimed Bharatanatyam artist Priyadarsini Govind. The second night of the festival on Sunday, September 21, will include a performance from legendary Bharatanatyam artist Rama Vaidyanathan with Dakshina and Sannidhi. Experience the magic of the Erasing Borders Dance Festival by reserving your tickets for this unforgettable two-night celebration. September 20, 2025 | 6-8PM, Ailey Citigroup Theater School: Nrithyanjali School/Guru: Ramya Ramnarayan/ Bharatanatyam student group Trina Sarkar: Odissi solo Kalanidhi: Kuchipudi group Chitresh Das Dance Company: Kathak group Priyadarsini Govind: Bharatanatyam solo September 21, 2025 | 6-8PM, Ailey Citigroup Theater School: Odissi Dance Company/Guru: Aparupa Chatter- jee/Odissi student group Pranamya Suri: Kuchipudi solo Rovaco Dance Company/Rohan Bhargava: Group con- temporary Preeti Vasudevan: contemporary solo Rama Vaidyanathan trio: Bharatanatyam In addition, the NewYork Public Library will be leading a discussion with Priyadarshini on September 18 at 6pm in the BrunoWalter Auditorium at the Library for the Performing Arts. Priyadarsini Govind is an influential dancer in the world of Bharatanatyam. For the fourth annual Dr. Sunil Kothari Honorary Lecture presented by the Jerome Robbins Dance Division at the Library for the Performing Arts, Govind who studied in depth the art of abhinaya from the master inheritor of the rajadasi tradi- tion, Kalanidhi Narayanan, shares how human emotions are interpreted and transformed from everyday reality to stylized yet accessible aesthetic form. And on Monday September 22, from 11:40am – 1:00pm some of the artists will be participating in a panel talk with students at Barnard College under Uttara Coorla- wala, senior curator EBDF and also Professor, Dance at the Barnard/Columbia College, roomTBA. THE ARTISTS Priyadarsini Govind is one of the foremost Bharatanatyam dancers in the world today. Trained by two stalwarts, Ka- laimamani S.K. Rajarathnam Pillai and Padma Bhushan Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan, Priyadarsini has imbibed this art form from the best. With her natural aptitude for abhi- naya coupled with her passion and dedication to her art, Priyadarsini has become a flag bearer of Smt. Kalanidhi’s padam repertoire and has been performing in prestigious venues all over India and the globe, taking Bharatanaty- am to many major International and national Festivals as a soloist. She is also actively engaged in creating new repertoires for dance and teaching. She served as the Di- rector of the Kalakshetra Foundation between August 5 th , 2013 and June 19th , 2017 and is the founder and direc- tor of NavaDarshana- an initiative that teaches dancers to view dance holistically. Rama Vaidyanathan is one of the foremost Bharatanaty- am dancers of her generation. She trained intensively un- der 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 prin- ciples 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. Having performed at every major dance venue in the world, she has been awarded with the titles “Ka- laimamani” by the Govt of Tamil Nadu and “Kalashree” by the Govt of Kerala. Other notable awards are the Kumar Gandharv Puraskar from the Madhya Pradesh Govt, Nadanamamani from Kartik Fine Arts Chennai, Vani kala Sudhakara fromTyagabrahma Gana sabha Chennai, Nritya Choodamani from Krishna Gana Sabha Chen- nai and the Nritya Kalanidhi from the Music Academy Madras. Rama is also the recipient of the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar. As the President of Ganesa Natyalaya New Delhi, she has been actively engaged in teaching for more than 25 years. Rama balances a hectic performance schedule while conducting workshops and master classes all over the world, inspiring a whole gen- eration of dancers. ramavaidyanathan.com Sannidhi Vaidyanathan learned Bharatanatyam from her grandmother Padma Bhushan Saroja Vaidyanathan and her mother Rama Vaidyanathan. Apart from traveling within India, Sannidhi has performed at various venues in the United States, Canada, France, Spain, the United Kingdom and Singapore. Dakshina Vaidyanathan Baghel has undergone rigorous training at Ganesa Natyalaya under the able tutelage of her grandmother Guru Dr. Saroja Vaidyanathan (Padmabhushan awardee) and her mother Guru Rama Vaidyanathan. She was awarded the CCRT scholarship by the Department of Culture Govt. of India in 2003 and then again in 2014, the Kalpana Chawala Award in the Young Achievers’ category in 2005, the NIRBHAYA PURASKAR by OYSS in 2015 and NATYA RATNA by Trinity Arts Chennai in 2015 for her contribution to Indian Clas- sical Dance. By a StaffWriter PHOTO:COURTESY IAAC 6 CITY VIEWS July 18, 2025