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By Mabel Pais
The Erasing Borders Dance Festival (EBDF) for the 18th annual year will be hosted and presented by the Indo-American Arts Council (https://iaac.us) on Saturday, September 19, 2026, and Sunday, September 20, 2026, each evening at 6PM at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College (68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues).
New York’s premier Indian dance festival, Erasing Borders, features performances by eminent Bharatanatyam, Kathak, and Odissi artists as well as US-based dance companies.
Schedule Overview
Saturday, September 19, features Bharatanatyam and Kalaripayattu group Radhe Jaggie and Team, a Kuchipudi solo by Sreelakshmy Kallungal Govardhanan, and Kathak trio Shila Mehta.
Sunday, September 20, will include a performance by Dr. Neena Prasad Mohiniyattam group, the Odissi trio Arushi Mudgal, and a contemporary solo by Preeti Vasudevan.
Tickets & More Information**
For tickets & more information on the performances, visit https://iaac.us/ebdf2026-ibs
**Program subject to change.
Performance Lineup
Saturday, September 19, 2026 | 6-8PM, The Kaye Playhouse
Ganesh Vasudev and Nitya Narasimhan: Bharatanatyam duo
Sreelakshmy Kallungal Govardhanan: Kuchipudi solo
Shila Mehta, Salonee Satagar, Sanchita Dighe: Kathak trio
Preeti Vasudevan: Contemporary solo
Radhe Jaggi and Team, Bharatanatyam and Kalaripayattu group
Sunday, September 20, 2026 | 6-8PM, The Kaye Playhouse
Radha Varadan: Kathak solo
Neena Prasad and Musicians: Mohiniyattam group
Aparna Sindhoor & Anil Natyaveda: Sindhoor Natya, Navarasa group
Arushi & Sawani Mudgal: Odissi trio
Additional Programming:
Fifth Annual Dr. Sunil Kothari Lecture | Thursday, September 24, 2026 at 6PM
Bruno Walter Auditorium, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
The Balanced Dance as a Journey Towards Inner Stillness and Equanimity by Rama Vaidyanathan
The Artists
Radhe Jaggi is a Bharatanatyam artist whose dance is an exquisite balance of grace, tradition, and depth. Rooted in the classical rigor of Bharatanatyam, her artistry is deeply influenced by her lifelong practice of yoga, lending her movements fluidity, strength, and precision.
Radhe’s journey as a performer began in the temples of Tamil Nadu, where she spent the first two years of her career performing in over sixty temples. Since then, she has graced some of the most esteemed stages in India. Her international presence has been equally distinguished, with performances at Cambridge University (UK), the House of Commons in London, the Gwanju Arts Festival in South Korea, and venues across Malaysia, North America, and Europe. Learn more at https://instagram.com/radhejaggi and https://x.com/radhejaggi.
Dr. Neena Prasad is recognized as a distinguished dancer of the nation, noted for her evocative and intellectually nuanced choreography, which seamlessly integrates tradition with contemporary sensibilities, thereby expanding the expressive and thematic horizons of Mohiniyattam. She is the foremost representative of Mohiniyattam in the country, performing in major and prestigious Dance Festivals in India and abroad. Learn more at https://neenaprasad.com.
Shila Mehta is a distinguished Kathak artist, scholar, performer, and pedagogue with over four decades of experience in performance, education, and research. A noted researcher, she received the Government of India Senior Fellowship for pioneering work on Charani ballad singing and its manifestation in ‘Charani Kathak.’ An author and PhD scholar at the University of Mumbai, she continues to advocate Indian classical dance as a means of cultural connection and holistic well-being.
Learn more at https://instagram.com/shila_mehta.
Sreelakshmy Kallungal Govardhanan is a renowned Kuchipudi dancer, choreographer, and researcher from Kerala, India. She blends classical rigor with contemporary thought. She is a graded Doordarshan and ICCR empanelled artiste and a trained psychologist professionally. An author and PhD scholar at the University of Mumbai, she continues to advocate Indian classical dance as a means of cultural connection and holistic well-being. Learn more at https://instagram.com/sreelakshmy_govardhanan
Arushi Mudgal is an acclaimed Odissi dancer and choreographer celebrated for her technical virtuosity and innovative approach to tradition. She has received international recognition, with her work Mūrta–Amūrta being named among The New York Times’ Top Ten Dances of 2018. A noted researcher, she received the Government of India Senior Fellowship for pioneering work on Charani ballad singing and its manifestation in ‘Charani Kathak.’ An author and PhD scholar at the University of Mumbai, she continues to advocate Indian classical dance as a means of cultural connection and holistic well-being. Learn more at https://arushimudgal.com
Sawani Mudgal is a distinguished Hindustani classical vocalist known for her versatility as a performer, music educator, and collaborator. She was awarded the gold medal for her Master’s degree in Music from Khairagarh University. Her international collaborations include the Indo-Flamenco production directed by Carlos Saura in Spain, performances with the Belgian ensemble Ragini Trio, and the Indo-Brazilian project Samwaad presented across Brazil, France, and the Netherlands. In India, she has appeared at major festivals including the Khusrau-Kabir Festival, Bhakti Utsav, and Mahindra Kabira Festival. She also conducts music workshops across the world. Learn more at https://instagram.com/sawani.mudgal
Shalakha Rai, trained in Odissi dance, performs extensively within India and abroad. As the principal dancer of her guru’s ensemble, she has performed at leading international platforms including the Fall for Dance Festival in New York, the Darbar Festival in the United Kingdom, and the Festival of India in Spain, among others. Learn more at https://instagram.com/raishalakha
Preeti Vasudevan is an award-winning and critically acclaimed choreographer. Preeti’s provocative and unconventional storytelling challenges the status quo of dance-theater, bridging ancient traditions with the contemporary world. Preeti is the 2018 Arts Ambassador of the US Department of State with cultural diplomacy programs and serves on the New York Lincoln Center’s Artistic Committee advocating representation and diversity in the arts. Preeti created her arts impact non-profit, Thresh, in 2005, as a platform inviting multidisciplinary artistic collaborators and thought leaders to work towards a common voice on issues that impact our global society with a focus on women and youth. Learn more at https://instagram.com/vasudevan.preeti
Ganesh Vasudev is a Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer and researcher who has been performing his own works for the last 15 years. He has been training for more than 30 years and under the guidance of Bragha Bessel since 2009. Learn more at https://ganeshvasudeva.com
Nitya Narasimhan is a Bharatanatyam artist from California, USA. As the artistic director of Prayukti Arts, she is actively building a community for Indian arts in the Bay Area. Prayukti Arts was awarded the Sunnyvale City Arts Award in 2024. With a foundation rooted in tradition and a commitment to thoughtful practice, Nitya continues to engage with Bharatanatyam as a student, performer, teacher, and curator. Learn more at https://instagram.com/nitnaras and https://prayuktiarts.org
Aparna Sindhoor & Anil Natyaveda
Aparna Sindhoor, Artistic Director of Sindhoor Natya – Navarasa, is a Mysore-style Bharatanatyam exponent. She creates a unique style of dance-theater and has worked in films with Oscar-winning Anthony Dod Mantle.
Anil Natyaveda, Co-Director of Sindhoor Natya – Navarasa, is a leading Kalari artist. He has choreographed for films and for Franco Dragone’s circus. Learn more at https://navarasa.org
Sanjib Bhattacharya, distinguished Manipuri dance exponent and President’s Award recipient, is trained under eminent gurus and has performed internationally. Formerly based in Cleveland, now in California’s Bay Area, he is a choreographer, educator, and founder of Movements in Motion, integrating classical Manipuri with contemporary practice. Learn more at https://instagram.com/sanjib_sb
Radha Varadan is a creative artist dedicated to the evolution of Kathak. Trained from a young age in classical ballet, Kathak, and modern dance, she has been recognized internationally for her work in translating ballet variations into the traditional Kathak vocabulary and for her research on injury prevention in Indian Classical Dance. She has recently been awarded the Fulbright Nehru Award to continue her scholarship in Kathak. Learn more at https://instagram.com/radha.varadan
Dr. Sunil Kothari Lecture
Dr. Sunil Kothari, Padma Shri awardee, was a frequent visitor to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in the Dance Division in his lifetime, and he contributed greatly to scholarship on Indian classical dance. This lecture, which was initiated in his honor following his death, has been an important way to remember him and to carry his work forward. Kothari also participated in the Erasing Borders Festival and covered it in published reviews. This year, Rama Vaidyanathan will be the featured presenter. Her work in the field of Bharatanatyam dance is groundbreaking, in both classical and innovative forms.
Rama Vaidyanathan is one of the foremost Bharatanatyam dancers of her generation. She trained intensively under 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 principles 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. Learn more at https://instagram.com/ramavaidyanathan
The Indo-American Arts Council
The IAAC supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk, and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. IAAC works cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden its collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources, and funding. Its focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform, and produce their work here. For more information, visit https://iaac.us
Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Education, Spirituality, Health and Wellness, Business, and Cuisine.
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