Indian-American dancer Mythili Prakash will offer a residency in Bharatanatyam dance at Duke University to launch the Duke India Initiative this spring.
Mythili, a dynamic young Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer, will visit Duke February 1-5 and March 1-5 to offer a residency at the Duke Dance Program. The residency includes workshops and choreographing a piece for Duke student dancers for presentation at the Duke Dance Department’s mainstage concert, ChoreoLab, at 7:30 p.m. on April 14-15 in Reynolds Industries Theater.
Raised in Los Angeles, California, Mythili began dancing at an early age and launched her performing career at the age of eight. She has toured her own solo productions in the United Kingdom, France, Singapore, the United States and Mexico and was featured on NBC’s Superstars of Dance. She has also acted, cast in the award-winning film Life of Pi, directed by Ang Lee, as the wife of Pi.
“Several Indian-American students come to Duke with a specialized level of training in Bharatanatyam dance,” said Dance Program director Purnima Shah. “This residency will enrich their repertoire, while at the same time, provide finesse in their technical skills and aesthetic presentation of staged work. Students will also train in methods of choreographic design.”
The Dance Program is grateful to Mary Duke Biddle Foundation for their continuing support to visiting artists at Duke.