Home

Welcome to Dakshina
| Print

Dakshina dancers are back rehearsing after completing a highly successful tour of India and Bangladesh. Do take a moment to read Suresh Desai’s glowing review of Dakshina’s performance in Ahmedabad that appeared in the Times of India. As you may already know, the tour was a first for Dakshina in many ways. Here are a few highlights of Dakshina’s tour:

  1. First tour to India and Bangladesh for Dakshina–particularly unique because of the fusion work of Bharata Natyam and Modern dance we do.
  2. This was the first time a US based dance company had ever performed in Bangladesh since the country’s founding 39 years ago. Dakshina is honored and humbled to be the ground breaking company in establishing this important cultural dialogue.
  3. First time modern dance pioneer Anna Sokolow’s works are performed in India or Bangladesh. 2010 is the birth centennial of this late genius, and Dakshina kicked off the celebrations with the first performance of her work on January 3, 2010 in Dhaka Bangladesh.

Along with these historical firsts, each performance on the tour was of personal significance to the founder Daniel Phoenix Singh. Chennai is Daniel’s hometown, and it was a sweet homecoming to be performing there in the midst of the dance festival that takes place between December through January each year. In Ahmedabad, Daniel and the dancers were humbled to perform on Darpana’s Natarani stage where both Mrinalini Sarabhai and Mallika Sarabhai have performed for several years. Natarani (Queen of Dance) is a play on Nataraja (King of Dance)–the incarnation in which the Hindu god Shiva is said to have codified the celestial dance form of Bharata Natyam. The sold-out, closing performance in Dhaka couldn’t have been better, we were thrilled to begin the dialogue with Bangladesh and serve as the cultural ambassadors with our historic first performance. Dakshina returns home with several invitations to visit India again, and we hope to make several trips back soon in the upcoming years. Thank you for helping us make this historic tour possible.

Looking Ahead: Dakshina’s 2010 Highlights

Have you missed the dancers? Mark your calendars for our Spring open rehearsal/reception at the Dance Institute of Washington on Saturday March 27th from 7-9 pm. You’ll get to see pictures and videos of our recent trip to India and Bangladesh, and join the company in an intimate open rehearsal. Lorry May, re-constructor for the Sokolow Foundation will be in residence with the company and we’ll be returning to Dance Place on May 1-2, 2010 with Anna Sokolow’s Rooms and our signature Bharata Natyam and Fusion works. Stay tuned for more exciting news about our other programs.

Can We Count On Your Support in 2010?

In 2009, Dakshina presented works in Washington DC, Vancouver BC, Chennai and Ahmadabad in India and Dhaka Bangladesh. Our performances reached close to 5000 people in 2009 alone. Dakshina’s Unique Adult Outreach Program provided free tickets to over 400 underprivileged adults through our work with local partners such as (SOME) So Others May Eat, Christ House, Martha’s Table and Miriam’s Kitchen.

Your support made this growth possible. How? Every dollar you donated went directly towards our artistic projects and outreach programming. Dakshina is currently run entirely by volunteers, with zero dollars going towards administrative costs.

How You Can Help

1. Click here to make a secure, tax-deductible contribution online in less than a minute. Make a difference in the lives of local dancers. If you’d rather send a check, please mail it to Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company, 2008 16th Street NW #304, Washington DC 20009.
2. See if your Employer will match your donation to Dakshina (remember we are a registered 501(c) 3 organization)
3. Spread the word, Tell 5 of your friends about Dakshina, ask them to match your donation and sign up for our email list.

Keep us on our Feet–You are the dance!
Daniel Singh

Want to experience the movement? Join Dakshina today!

Currently Dakshina is seeking Board Members and volunteers who have experience in the following areas: Fundraising, Corporate Relations, South Asian Community Liaison, LGBT Community Liaison, Non-Profit Law, and Accounting. In addition, we are looking for event planning volunteers to help us organize our 2010 season. Our volunteers get to meet international artists and work in a hands-on environment, meet wonderful people and have fun while doing it all. Make a difference in your community and the arts scene. Email us at info@dakshina.org to get started. Visit our Facebook page for ongoing updates and to get a sneak peak at our rehearsal pictures. www.facebook.com/DakshinaDC.