At Tandavam, we aim to make our learning, enjoyment and appreciation a wholesome experience. There are some fine artists outside of our DMV area, and bringing them in as and when we deem fit and can is a goal we intend fulfilling. Learning isn’t linear and neither does it have boundaries. There’s something we can always learn from anyone who creates..
Arts and culture do not really have a geopolitical boundary. So it is probably one of the best ways of cultivating understanding between people.
Diana Lee
Below are some of the artists we have invited and have had the honor and pleasure of hosting:
Baithak – Ashta Nayika: February 08 2020
Sri. Srinivasa Devarakonda
Srinivas Devarakonda is from Hyderabad, India. He had his Kuchipudi training for 12 years under Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam at Kuchipudi Art Academy in Chennai and has been a senior artiste and part of the troupe.
He is the founder of Kuchipudi Natyalaya in Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad. He has been teaching Kuchipudi since 1996 at various institutions, including Kuchipudi Dance Academy, Delhi Public School.
Srinivas Deverakonda has performed extensively in different countries, including at TANA in 1998, in Annamayya Ballet at the prestigious Kennedy Center, Ardhanareeshawara Ballet in Paris and France, and at Kuchipudi festival in Kuchipudi village, Indonesia and Russia. He is an experienced nattuvanar.
We are pleased and honored to have him at Tandavam and perform for us.
Project Rishikesh Fundraiser: December 05 2019
Sophia Salingaros
Born in San Antonio, Texas, Sophia studied Bharatanatyam with Guru Dr. Sreedhara Akkihebbalu from the age of nine. Since her debut recital – ‘Arangetram’ – in 2010, she has given numerous solo performances in the US and abroad.
She is an ICCR Empaneled Artist, a 2013 Young Arts Finalist, and a 2017-2018 IndianRaga Fellow. In 2018, she was invited by the UAE Prime Minister to perform at the World Government Summit in Dubai for Indian Prime Minister Modi. Sophia also studies intensively with Kalaimamani Rama Vaidyanathan in Delhi, and performed in her 2018 and 2019 US and India tours of ‘Vivartana’.
Also a pre-professional ballet dancer, Sophia studied at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow for six weeks under full scholarship in 2015. She recently graduated from Columbia University with a degree in chemistry, and passionately continues her pursuit of dance.
It was a pleasure to watch Sophia perform beautiful pieces for us at Tandavam for the fundraiser.