Who Are We?

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 local and visiting 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.

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IDEA also has patrons members who support us generously through donations. There are around 2500 students learning or practicing India dance in over thirty schools or companies around the DC metro area. IDEA aims to enrich the 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 India.

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IDEA is governed by a seven-member elected Board of Directors, with each director specializing in each of the following six styles of Indian classical dance represented in the Washington Metropolitan area.

• Bharatanatyam

• Kathak

• Kuchipudi

• Manipuri

• Mohiniyattam

• Odissi