Ramya Harishankar’s Dance Company Celebrates 40th Anniv With Show On May 21

India-West Staff Reporter

IRVINE, CA – Ramya Harishankar, the award-winning Artistic Director, and choreographer is marking 40 years of her Irvine-based dance company.

 On May 21, at the Irvine Barclay Theatre here, Harishankar will take a trip down memory lane with a mixed repertory presentation that will feature traditional Bharata Natyam as well as interpretations of the idiom.

Arpana Dance Company celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2022 and is proud of its cultural contributions to SoCal as well as its philanthropic work across the globe raising nearly $150K for charities. The dance company has had the honor of performing around the globe and is the recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, the Fund for Folk Culture, and the Alliance for California Traditional Arts.

Harishankar’s contribution to the cultural landscape earned her a spot on the Wall of Recognition in the City of Irvine as a Distinguished citizen in 2022. She is also a Helene Modjeska Cultural Legacy awardee from Arts Orange County, the countywide arts organization as well as a 2-time National Endowment for the Arts Choreography fellow.

Besides choreographing several traditional pieces, group, and solo for the Company, Harishankar has collaborated with several diverse artists bringing their unique styles and philosophy to her company. She has been a part of the Education roster of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts for three decades. During the pandemic, she created a 10-part podcast Dance Conversations, conducted online master classes across the globe, and made ‘dance films’ that have received nods from numerous film festivals.

The May 21 performance, ‘Darpana: reflecting on 40 years’ will be a retrospective of some of the company’s exemplary works with some contemporary twists performed by accomplished members of the company.

For tickets: www.thebarclay.org