Eknath Deo
M.D. - Advisor
Founding Member of the Ektaa
Center, Dr. Eknath Deo has been an active supporter of the arts in the
community. An oncologist by profession, he has actively helped raise funds
for the American Cancer Society and participated as advisor for the Maharashtra
Mandal.
Robert Garfias - Advisor
Dr. Garfias is the Professor
of Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine. He has extensive
knowledge in ethnomusicology and has conducted research in several countries
including Japan, Korea, Mexico, Burma, Turkey, Okinawa and the Philippines.
He takes a keen interest in Indian Music and Dance and has served on the
Arpana Foundation Board since 2000. He was also the White House appointee
for the National Council for the Arts and has served on several review
panels at the State and National level.
Ramya Harishankar
Artistic Director of the Ektaa
Center, she has provided the vision and direction of every endeavor. A
recipient of the NEA Choreographers Fellowship, CAC MCE grant and other
prestigious honors, she has been instrumental in bringing major artists
from India to be a part of the presentations of the Ektaa Center. With
over 25 years of teaching and performing experience in Bharata Natyam and
the knowledge of related arts of music, art history and classical dances,
Ramya will continue to provide the artistic vision in the years to come.
With experience in the educational system at the University of California,
Irvine and the educational program 'From the Center' at the OCPAC, she
has helped develop several program formats suited to multi cultural groups
to foster awareness and understanding of the arts.
Chandrika Kedhar
A 30 year resident of Irvine
and Orange County, Chadrika Kedhar is a realtor by profession. A long time
supporter, she actively participates in the fund raising and marketing
efforts.
Harish K Murthy
As Executive Director of the
Ektaa Center, Harish Murthy has been producing all of the events since
its inception. Besides the Ektaa Center, he serves on the Board of the
Multicultural Arts Council (MAC) of Orange County. Harish served as the
Chairperson for the Kaleidoscope Festival overseeing a budget of over $100000.
With over 20 years of professional marketing and sales experience, he has
provided the foundations for the effective marketing of the programs and
building of the infrastructure. Although working in a volunteer capacity,
he has forged effective relations with the larger Indo American community
and will be spearheading the effort to raise funds through corporate and
business sponsors in the community. A long term resident of Orange County,
he has committed to providing opportunities for better understanding of
the diverse cultures of the community.
Toni McDonald-Pang - Advisor
An avid arts enthusiast, Toni
has been involved in various aspects of production and administration since
her college days. Currently she is the Supervisor of the Irvine Fine Arts
Center, a city operated facility to see, learn about, and create visual
arts such as painting, ceramics, photography, jewelry, culinary arts
and more.
Nancy Ruyter - Advisor
Nancy Ruyter received her Ph.D.
from Claremont Graduate School. She has several books and articles to her
credit on dance history and practice especially on Spanish Dance.
She choreographs and reconstructs Spanish dance. Currently an Associate
Professor at the University of California, Irvine she teaches Bibliography
and Research, Dance History, Hispanic Dance History, and Spanish Dance.
Amita Sheth
Amita earned her B.A. in Political
Science and World Arts & Cultures (Dance Concentration) from UCLA in
1999. While at UCLA she was the Arts and Entertainment Editor of
FEM, the feminist magazine on campus. For the past year and a half
Amita had been working for Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez as one of her
lead fundraisers. She also sits on the Board of Directors for San
Diego Dance Alliance. Proficient in Bharata Natyam and a regular member
of the Arpana Dance Company, Amita will bring knowledge of the arts as
well as Finance and Fund Raising to the Executive team.
Geeta Venkat
A practicing allergist, Dr. Geeta Venkat has been an active member of the community. Besides serving on the Board of the Indian Medical Association, she has a keen interest in the arts, particularly in music. A philanthropist and arts enthusiast, she has been a strong supporter of multi cultural events and has actively participated in cultural programs in the community.
Ulhas Bala
A renowned Obstetrician and Gynecologist in Orange County, Dr. Ulhas Bala has a special interest in Indian arts and culture. An active contributor and member of the Indian medical Association, she has helped organize numerous cultural programs in the community. In 1989, she coordinated the participation of the Indian community in the first Kaleidoscope Festival, a multicultural event in Orange County. A keen student of Sanskrit and Hindu History and literature, she has served as a resource for information on cultural traditions.
Anouk Grover
An occupational therapist by profession, Anouk is also training to be a dancer. She brings a broad perspective on the arts of India and has been an enthusiastic volunteer for Ektaa events and activities for the last couple of years.
Geetha Nath
As the current Treasurer of the Board, Geetha is responsible for the fiscal well being of the organization. A practicing Controller / accountant, she brings valuable experience in keeping the financial records, budgeting and fiscal management while actively supporting the artistic endeavors with persuasive marketing.
Mansi H Shah
Mansi H. Shah is an attorney in Howrey's Orange County office, specializing in intellectual property law. Ms. Shah's interest in the South Asian arts stem from her Gujarati heritage, and training as a Bharata-Natyam dancer. She performed her arangetram in 1998. Ms. Shah remained involved in the arts through various South Asian organizations, including the Sangam (the South Asian organization at UC San Diego), South Asian Law Students Association at the George Washington University, and Young Jains of America.
Sravani Jandhyala
Although born in Vishakapatnam, India, Sravani spent much of her early life
growing up as a world citizen in the West Indies, England, Ireland, Denmark
and Norway before she moved to the US. Holding a Bachelors in Biology from WSU,Detroit and a
Masters in Public Health from UCLA, she has always taken an interest in expressions of art
and promoting arts activities. Over the last few years she served as Program and Fund Development Director
for the Indo American Cultural Center (now Artwallah).
Recently she helped start Dance-Construct and the Courtyard Series (youth concerts), both born out of her love for seeing art
awareness, understanding and appreciation grow as well to provide forums for expression in the youth community.
Along with her husband Ravi, she has helped support various community artistic ventures
and lives in Irvine with her daughter Lekha and son Dakshin.
Amishi Parekh
A Masters in Child Development and a Registerd Nurse, Amishi Parekh trains, instructs and mentors nurses professionally. With a passion for Gujarati
literature and poetry, folk dancing, gardening and flower arrangement she brings a fresh new artistic perspective to the Ektaa Center.
Dr Kumar Ramisetti
Dr Kumar Ramisetti practices internal medicine in Huntington Beach CA.
ARTISTIC CONSULTANTS AND
COLLABORATORS:
Kalanidhi Narayanan,
a world-renowned exponent of abhinaya (interpretive dance) has virtually
redefined this aspect of Bharata Natyam in the annals of history.
After an early start as a prodigious dancer, her enormous talent lay dormant
for nearly 30 years before it took the dance world by storm in 1973. Today,
her legion of students, both upcoming and established dancers are spread
across the world. It has almost become a must for all serious dancers to
learn abhinaya from her. As a choreographer, Narayanan focuses on character
types and the states/moods of feeling. Through classes, lecture demonstrations
and workshops in India and abroad, she emphasizes the cultivation of musical
and poetic sensibility - both for enriched performance and response. She
has been a visiting professor at New York University and the University
of Texas, Austin. Several honors and fellowships have come her way including
the coveted 'Padmabhushan' from the Government of India in 1985.
Her teaching is unique, in that it seeks not to implant her style but stimulate
a spontaneous evocation of feeling and its delineation.
The veteran, Prof. C. V.
Chandrasekhar, is a multi-faceted artiste, who has stood the test of
time and still continues with renewed spirit and enthusiasm in the field
of Bharata Natyam after 5 decades. A teacher, singer, composer,
choreographer, producer of dance ballets, and above all, a well-respected
academician, he has held the position of Dean of the Dance Department at
both Universities of Varanasi and Baroda. He is the recipient of the Sangeet
Natak Akademi award for choreography, India's highest such honor. He
has a number of productions to his credit including the works of Kalidasa
as well as choreographing North Indian texts in the South Indian dance
style of Bharata Natyam. His troupe, Nrityashree of Vadodara,
has represented India in international festivals in Japan, Hong Kong, Russia
and the United States. Now settled in Chennai, he is the master 'guru'
guiding and training the next generation of dancers.
|
