Amrita Dance Creations
Press Kit - English
ABOUT AMRITA DANCE CREATIONS
Amrita Dance Creations offers intercultural, multi-lingual, and cross-cultural productions in collaboration with multiple disciplines. Committed to giving voice to the voiceless and highlighting issues of marginalized communities through the medium of dance, we tell stories from the heart and express emotions through dance. Specializing in Indian classical, folk, and Indian modern dance, Amrita Choudhury aims to offer a safe space to practice, learn, and perform for the community. At the heart of these productions are the philosophies of interconnectedness, interdependence, and a sense of belonging to each other. Collaborating with various cultures and artistic disciplines, we have produced shows such as "Sophia's Resurrection", "The Bridges of Hope", "The Light of Love", & "Shakti Rising: Honoring Our Stories". The latest production in process "Kali in my Bones" will soon be presented in 2024. As guests on this land, we are always striving to honor and support this reality through collaborations and performances. We aim to create and present what it truly means to live in this interconnected world with respect, integrity, and love for one another. Amrita has also brought to the stage Indian Indigenous dance and music cultures (classical and folk) and their influences on the global artistic world.
Amrita Dance Creations has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, The Quebec Council for the Arts, & the Indo-Canadian Shastri Institute for its artistic creations, dance research and performance.
Brief BIO:
Amrita brings more than 30 years of national and international experience in performance, choreography, & teaching. She has dedicated her dance career to sharing her creations here in Canada and internationally. Amrita specializes in Indian classical (Odissi), folk/tribal, Rajasthani, Bengali, & Modern Indian dance.She believes that dance is a powerful tool for inter cultural dialogue and communication, giving voice to the voiceless.
Amrita's work also highlights the socio-political and spiritual aspects of society focused on marginalized groups, human rights & women's issues. Her productions “Sophia's Resurrection”, “The Bridges of Hope”, & “Shakti Rising-Honoring Our Stories” all reflect these aspects.
Amrita collaborates with Indigenous, European, Asian, & North American dance artists to create bridges between artistic expressions, choreography & to create new forms of movement expressions. Her collaborations with Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, TED talks, The Banff Centre for the Arts, Festival Access Asie & Moment Factory productions are a few amongst many of festivals and artistic organizations. Amrita performs regularly at festivals, conferences, & presents for educational institutions.
Amrita works in the field of “Culture & Education” & uses dance as a therapeutic tool in hospitals, health institutions, and for medical professionals.
One of Amrita’s primary goal is to bring awareness of the dance philosophies and practices of the knowledge keepers.
Amrita graduated from Santiniketan, India; a specialized school which concentrates on the arts and it's relationship to nature. She also trained in Orissa, Rajasthan and in various other cities in India.
Amrita holds a degree in Anthropology and has dedicated her research on the Indigenous classical & folk dance traditions of India. One of the pioneer Indian dance professionals here in Canada, Amrita has strived to bring the ancient lineages & ancestral knowledge of Indian dance into the forefront in the artistic milieu.
She believes that dance is a philosophy of life in motion, where every person has the ability to experience the power & joy of this expression.
Productions:
Bridges of Hope is a socio-political piece that addresses global intolerance, war, racism, and human rights issues. This performance is call for peace, compassion & understanding within all people of the world.
Video of show & Press interview
A triumphant story of a woman's life cycle of birth, death, resurrection and transformation. A collaboration between Amrita, Norman Achneepineskum (first nations voice & drum artist) & Mary Williamson (contemporary dance). Inspired by true stories.
Shakti Rising: Honoring Our Stories
A collaboration between Indigenous & Indian artists portraying a life cycle of Mother Earth & it's people through the stages of Creation, Preservation, Destruction, & Recreation/Transformation. A spiritual, political, socio-cultural story of heart, courage, resilience, & love.
Bringing back ancestral knowledge and wisdom to aid a woman through the meaning and purpose of life. Life, death and beyond death is explored in this rare powerful performance. All aspects of the dark Goddess Kali is explored in a more contemporary socio political and spiritual setting. Kali in my Bones shows the path of hope in the hopeless, shows the path to light in the darkness, from the deepest vibrations of our Bones.
The passionate poetic expressions of Rumi & Tagore are interpreted in this moving spoken word performance. Through lyrical body gestures, intricate hand movements and passionate expressions, the poems come alive from the soul!
Odissi - Spirit of the temples
Video
Explore the beauty, lyrical, rhythmic, sculpture-like dance expressions through the ancient temple dance form of Odissi.
Explorez la beauté, les expressions de danse lyriques, rythmiques et sculpturales à travers l'ancienne forme de danse du temple d'Odissi.
Rhythms of India/Rythmes de l'Inde (Classical, Bollywood, Folk, Sufi)
A joyous performance highlighting Indian classical, folk, gypsy, Sufi, & Bollywood dance traditions.
