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Nritya Darpan 2026 held in New Jersey
IHCA-NJ’s annual dance showcase featured diaspora artists presenting works rooted in classical and contemporary forms.
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Staff Reporter - Tue, 14, Apr 2026
- 02:37 EDT
- 15
The event was supported in part by the Mid Atlantic Folk and Traditional Arts Community Projects Program of Mid Atlantic Arts / The Indian Heritage & Cultural Association of New Jersey
The Indian Heritage & Cultural Association of New Jersey (IHCA-NJ) presented Nritya Darpan 2026 on April 10 at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in New Brunswick, New Jersey, featuring performances by artists from across the Indian diaspora.
Now in its third consecutive year, the annual production showcased five curated works rooted in classical Indian dance forms including Kathak, Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, while also incorporating Western influences. The event was conceived by IHCA-NJ founder and president Dr. Ashok Chaudhary and curated this year by artist Dr. Maya Kulkarni-Chheda through a nationwide submission process.
The evening opened with an inauguration by Consul Upendra Negi from the Consulate General of India in New York.
The program included “Gajar,” presented by Odissi dancer and scholar Dr. Kaustavi Sarkar along with Dr. Deepa Mahadevan. The piece drew from the Pandharpur Vari, a devotional pilgrimage to Lord Vitthal, and depicted episodes such as Shree Krishna Janma, Kaliya Mardan and Arjun Vishad from the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita.
“Rogue Gestures / Foreign Bodies,” performed by California-based Nava Dance Theatre, combined Bharatanatyam, experimental movement and live music. The work explored identity and belonging, drawing on oral histories of Indian immigrant nurses who arrived in the United States after the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act. Performers included Nadhi Thekkek, Sruthi Abhishek and Vertika Shrivastava.
“The White Whale,” choreographed by Kasi Aysola of Prakriti Dance in Maryland, presented a Kuchipudi-based interpretation of Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, examining themes of obsession, fate and human ambition.
In “Who Am I,” New York-based Bharatanatyam dancer Aishwarya Madhav explored stages of a woman’s life and her search for identity, using the imagery of a clock and a mirror. The performance concluded with the dancer walking through the mirror, symbolizing unity beyond physical existence.
“Desert Myths,” by New York’s IMGE Dance Company, blended Mayurbhanj Chhau, hip-hop, Bharatanatyam and Kathak. Performed by Ishita Mili and the IMGE ensemble, the piece examined themes of illusion, survival and transformation.
The event was supported in part by the Mid Atlantic Folk and Traditional Arts Community Projects Program of Mid Atlantic Arts, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as support from the Consulate General of India in New York.
Founded in 2013, IHCA-NJ is a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization that promotes Indian cultural heritage in the United States through performing arts. In addition to Nritya Darpan, it organizes Natya Darpan, a multilingual short-play festival focused on socially relevant theater.
Nritya Darpan 2026 drew audiences from across the region, continuing its run of sold-out performances.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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