IDEA: INDIAN DANCE EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION

A community of dance professionals from all styles of Indian dance, serving the greater community.

IDEA is an organization based in the community, serving the community, and enhancing the community. Through our programs, we bring a greater awareness of the unique artistic gifts brought to the America's great cultural tapestry by dancers from India.

IDEA is a community of dance professionals, dedicated to serving one another through increased artistic opportunities. The most important of these is the biannual IDEA Dance Festival presenting classical dances from India. The festival gives a platform to the local and artists from India on which the dancers meet, collaborate, and present the best of their works to the largest possible audience, thereby raising the profile and appreciation of Indian dance in America. IDEA members also work together throughout the year to present group productions which employ dancers and musicians in an atmosphere of mutual respect and professional achievement, providing income and raising funds for future projects of the organization.

IDEA enhances the greater Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area community by enriching cultural landscape, providing educational opportunities for Americans interested in South Asian dance traditions, and showcasing the transcendent beauty of India's magnificent dance styles to the community art-lovers everywhere. IDEA provides an artistic database for potential presenters, offering lecture demonstrations, master classes, workshops, and performances by area dancers as well as guest performers and scholars from Indian sub-continent. IDEA members have performed at museums, universities, schools, churches, and professional dance venues throughout North America, and this wealth of experience can be accessed by contacting the Indian Dance Educators Association.

Overview

IDEA, Indian Dance Educators Association, is incorporated in the State of Virginia, and is a 501(C)3 organization with the primary objective to promote Indian dance in the United States.

Teachers of Indian dance residing in the Washington metropolitan area formed IDEA in 1995.

IDEA has presented and continues to present several dance performances by local dancers as well as dancers from India.

IDEA has conducted workshops and lecture demonstrations, in Indian dance.

IDEA organizes several dance festivals, such as the Folk Dance Festival, Lok Nrityotsav in 1995, Rhythms Dance Festival in 1997, Darpana Dance Reflections 1999, Dhol Baje Folk Dance Festival in 2000, Jhankaar IDEA Dance & Music Festival in 2001, Dance Festival of India, 2003, DanCelebrations in 2005, Dance Festival of India 2007, and Dance Festival of India 2009 (see list of all past performances).