Mandala Arts

Description

Mandala South Asian Performing Arts is a MacArthur award-winning company, founded by Artistic Director Pranita Nayar.
From classical to contemporary, our seasoned professional artists offer audiences an evocative exploration of the dance, theatre and music forms of South Asia.

Our performances and productions have a connection to ancient and classical traditions, ranging from the Indian Ocean to the Himalayas, and from Persia to Indonesia. We are dedicated to sharing cultural exchanges and experiences through our company performances, our outreach and educational programs. Mandala award winning artists bring their far-ranging aesthetics and vocabularies into the work. Our multidisciplinary dance and music programs range from 45 minutes to evening length productions involving solo artists to an ensemble of 40 members.

Mandala Arts has presented work at Chicago Symphony Center, Harris Theater, Logan Center for the Arts, the Art Institute of Chicago, and Northshore Center for Performing arts. Mandala is consistently  performing at museums, festivals, educational institutes and  community centers through out the year

 

Work Sample

Traditional South Asian classical music and dance concert

Global music and dance at Navy Pier

Mandala Music ensemble comprising of Illinois Artist Fellowship awarded artist I Gusti Kertayudha Ngurah ( Balinese percussion), Chamni Sripraram ( Thai instrument) and Chethan Anand  (Flute - Hindustani Bansuri) play together to share the beauty of three traditions from South and South East Asia  where they converge together and  at the same time maintain their individual identities. The running time for this is 45 minutes. The video is shortened version that was produced during the pandemic in summer of 2020 at Primitive gallery Chicago.

The work sample submitted demonstrate the depth of knowledge and skills of Mandala artistic ensemble. The artists are so well versed and competent in their chosen art forms that they are able to evolve, adapt and become amenable to new programming without losing the true technique and form of their chosen art. Mandala is consistently creating  works that brings together multicultural artists from Southern Asia in one truly blended platform.

History

Mandala Arts was founded in 2014 by dancer, choreographer and educator Pranita Nayar. Having founded and led Kalapriya for 20 years, Nayar saw the opportunity to expand her audience’s understanding of Indian cultural art forms beyond Bharatanatyam, the classical dance form she had trained in and performed for decades. She wanted to bring to greater prominence in Chicago the array of thrilling, creative performance practiced throughout South Asia.

In its seven years of operation, Mandala has produced a diverse array of performances, workshops, and classes that offer an authentic experience in the performing traditions of South Asia that include art forms from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Bali. Mandala has been presented by major cultural organizations and presenters in the area such as the Chicago Park District, Art Institute of Chicago, University of Chicago, Chicago Sinfonietta but it has also stayed rooted in community by performing at local schools, places of worship and community organizations. Mandala is a Macarthur award winning organization and home to artists who have received Illinois arts Council Fellowship award, 3 arts award and Chicago Dance Maker forum award. Our productions range from solo artists to performances that feature over 40 artists.

Artistic Vision

Mandala ensemble is committed to entertainment and education. In each area, Mandala staff and artists craft exceptional experiences and champion values that reflect our core beliefs, including:
the arts can bring the world to our front door
stories and music have the power to transcend differences cultural identity must be recognized and supported excellence and fun are not mutually exclusive Mandala Ensemble  dancers and musicians  are skilled in a variety of performance styles. Mandala has produced a diverse array of performances, workshops, and classes that offer an authentic experience in the performing traditions of South Asia. These art forms include Islamic and Carnatic music, Balinese puppetry, Thai  and Balinese percussion, Indian dance and Sri Lankan dance. Many of these art forms have underrepresented histories and are readily appreciated by audiences that include culturally-specific as well as general populations.  Mandala performances  explore transnational, inter-cultural links in collaborations with artists from different geographic areas and time periods. Mandala 's artistic vision  is committed to preserving, propagating  and pursuing  ancient and lesser known art forms of South Asia by focusing on the similarities they have with many other artistic forms of the world.

Programs for Specific Audience(s) Expertise

Mandala ensemble members have created and delivered programs for multiple audience . All our programs are suitable for all age ranges from elderly to children. Our ensemble members are bi lingual and can translate  into Spanish, Hindi and Urdu. Our trained artists are able to  work with developmentally disabled as well as with an audience who have special learning abilities.

Traditional Folk/Ethnic Artform Statement

Mandala identifies itself as a folk and ethnic ensemble representing South Asia.
Indian performance art forms trace their origin to a 2000-year-old scripture called the Natya Shastra which details the practice of theatre, dance and music. These art forms first came to fruition in the royal courts and temples of India, grew into new regional forms as migration occurred through trade or colonization. Culturally specific forms such Oddisi, Kandayan, Balinese developed and flourished. While these classical forms have made a revival, and become popular beyond their cultural regions, outside of the South Asia n political boundaries, these genres have followed the diaspora and are pursued and taught by immigrant artists to new generations.

Mandala has received recognition as established artists, and brought our dance and music to urban areas, our rehearsal and classroom spaces have moved into non-specific community centers, colleges, and general studios and auditoriums.
The element of storytelling is strong in South Asian arts where often narratives are depicted from mythology. The common space for these performance traditions is places of worship or community centers. Beyond this, these forms are practiced at a handful of educational centers and presenting organizations promoting South Asian culture.