Prakriti Dance

transcending boundaries through dance 
Prakriti Dance is an innovative performing company that showcases the Indian performing traditions. Co-founded by Kasi Aysola and Madhvi Venkatesh, Prakriti Dance takes the movement vocabulary of India and interprets modern stories and issues in order to bring relevance and context to the ever evolving Indian art. Drawing inspirations from nature, philosophy, poetry, and other genres of art, Prakriti weaves a multi-layered tapestry to transcend cultural boundaries and communicate the human experience.
Prakriti Dance has performed at festivals and venues such as Jacob’s Pillow, Kennedy Center (DC), Atlas INTERSECTIONS Festival (DC), Dance Place (DC), VelocityDC Dance Festival (DC), Drive East (NY), James Armstrong Theater (CA) and Spring to Dance (MI). With the intention to broaden the horizons of accessibility for Indian arts, Prakriti Dance frequently teaches classes, workshops, and lecture demonstrations in the Washington DC metro area at schools and dance institutions. Furthermore, it aims to connect artists of varied experiences by collaborating and exploring the arts of the Indian diaspora in America, to find a unique voice.

Performance Highlights

Original Thematic Work:
  • Through Fish Eyes
    • Jacob’s Pillow 90th Anniversary Festival, Beckett Massachusetts: (supported by Jacob’s Pillow & National YoungArts Foundation)

    • Nitya Nritya Festival, Jeanne Wagner Theater, Salt Lake City Utah: Sept 2022. (supported by National Endowment for the Arts, Salt Lake County, George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation, Salt Lake City Arts Council, Utah Legislature - Utah Division of Arts & Museums)
    • Jaalam, USF Theater 1, Tampa Floria: Sept 2021 (supported National Endowment for the Arts, SouthArts, Culture Builds Florida, Rudram Dance Company)
    • Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, Washington DC: Jun 2019 (supported by The National Academies Keck Futures Initiative & The Boston Foundation's Live Arts Boston Program)
  • Amba Shikandi: A Journey of Courage
    • Dance Place, Washington DC: Jul. 2018 (Co-presented by Dance Place)
    • Cary Arts Center, Cary, North Carolina: Mar. 2018 (Presented by Samskrita Bharati)
    • ​​Ravindra Natya Mandir, Mumbai, India: Feb. 2018 (Presented by RasaBodhi Arts Foundation at EVAM Festival)
    • Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai, India: Feb. 2018
    • Kalabharathi, Vishakapatnam, India: Feb. 2018 (Presented by Vishaka Music and Dance Academy)
    • James Armstrong Theater, Torrance, California: Sep. 2017 (Presented by Shakti Dance Company)
    • Atlas Performing Arts Center, Washington DC: Feb. 2017 (Presented by Atlas INTERSECTIONS Festival)
  • Prakriti: The Faces of Goddess Earth
    • ​Dance Place, Washington DC: Jul. 2017 (Co-presented by Dance Place)
    • Kreeger Auditorium, Rockville, Maryland: Jun. 2016
Other Performances:
  • Harvard ARTS FIRST Festival, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Apr. 2018
  • Cambridge Science Festival, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Apr. 2018
  • Spring to Dance Festival, St. Louis, Missouri: May 2017
  • VelocityDC Festival, Washington DC: Oct. 2016, Oct. 2017
  • AKIMBO Arts Festival, Baltimore, Maryland: Sep. 2016
  • World Dance Showcase, Cheverly, Maryland: Mar. 2016 
  • Smithsonian Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC: Mar. 2016 
  • Baltimore Dance Invitational, Owings Mills, Maryland: Feb. 2016 
  • Shirdi Sai Mandir, Dulles, Virginia: May 2015 
  • Asian Pacific Heritage Month Inaugural Ceremony, Mitchelville, Maryland: Apr. 2015 
  • 32nd Annual Choreographers’ Showcase, College Park, Maryland: Jan. 2015 
  • Nrityaseva: A fundraiser for the Tamil Nadu Kidney Research (TANKER) Foundation, Lanham, Maryland: Sep. 2014​​
Prakriti Dance has been supported by:
Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Barr Foundation, Maryland State
Arts Council, National Academies Keck Futures Initiative, The Boston Foundation, Boston Cultural Council

Photo Credit: Siva Sottalu