Dance Classes in New York

Perhaps nowhere is the richness of our Vedic Heritage more evident than in the traditions of Indian Music and Dance. YICG offers the opportunity to study dance under the tutelage of Malini Srinivasan, Dancer and Teacher, in the Kalakshetra tradition.

Malini Srinivasan is a third generation Bharata Natyam dancer and teacher, and is a disciple of Sri. C.V. Chandrasekhar (Chennai, India), whose dance, teaching style and complex choreography are world renowned.

Odissi is taught by Mala Desai, a fine proponent of this gracious dance form.  She was initiated into classical Indian dance education at the age of four, and has studied Kathak, Bharatanatyam and Odissi. She has earned her Diploma in Odissi Dance from Guru Mayadhar Raut School of Odissi Dance. She was awarded Certificates for Classical Dance from the Indira Kala Sangit Viswavidyalaya, Khairagarh University in India. A teacher of Odissi dance since 1995, Mala offers Odissi classes, workshops, lecture demonstrations and regularly does creative choreography in classical and semi-classical dance styles. She  directs, performs and teaches Indian folk dances. She has conducted private classes at the Great Neck School of Dance since 1999. She also teaches at the Lotus Music and Dance Studios in Manhattan and at YICG. 

Bollywood Dancing is offered to both adults and kids. This class will be taught by a teacher from Bollywood Performing Arts in Hicksville.

Kathak dance originated with the eastern Hindu leaders, but later spread throughout the royal houses of India.  It is considered one of the six classical dances of India.  The word Kathak is derived from katha, meaning "the art of storytelling."  Traditionally there were several narrators depicting various epic stories, including the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and the Puranas, works found in traditional Sanskrit literature.  While the northwestern region of Rajasthan is known for its technical excellence of the art form, the northeastern region is better known for its romantic and dramatic interpretation of the style.

Kathak is taught by Pandit Satya Narayana Charka, who is internationally acclaimed Kathak dancer, teacher and choreographer.