Together for the first time in New York, Madhavi Mudgal and Leela Samson, two legendary classical Indian choreographers/dancers with careers spanning over many decades, come together to share their experiences of Bharata Natyam and Odissi and the ever-evolving faces of these art forms. This amazing evening will feature an astha padi/abhinaya performance by each artist, followed by the analysis of the differences in the two dance forms. The artists will also discuss the evolving repertoire of traditional Odissi and Bharata Natyam and the challenges and of maintaining authenticity in modern-day presentations. The evening will conclude with a message to the emerging practitioners of Odissi and Bharata Natyam dance.

About ANUBHAV: Anubhav literally means "an experience." The main purpose of this series is to experience various dance forms through lecture/demonstrations, workshops and dialogues by legendary dance personalities from India.

Artist Bios:
Madhavi Mudgal epitomizes the elegance and sophistication of Odissi dance, a result of blending modern sensibilities with the ancient ethos of Eastern India. Mudgal's command over the nritta or purely ornamental aspect of Odissi is striking. Her delicate postures and strong rhythmic footwork create sculpturesque movements. Her subtle abhinaya (the expressional aspect of dance), musical knowledge and aesthetic sense add to the highly distinctive character of her performances.

Leela Samson is a virtuoso performer and sensitive interpreter of Bharata Natyam. She is a consummate teacher, choreographer and writer. She is the recipient of the Sanskriti Award in 1982, the Padmashri Award in 1990, the Nritya Choodamani Award in 1997 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2000. She served as the Director of the Kalakshetra Foundation from 2005 to 2012. Since 2010, she has served as Chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi — the apex body of dance, drama and music in India.

Co-presented by Asia Society, Trinayan and Prashant Shah