Beaverton-based dance studio to host Indian dance festival in Portland this weekend

Beaverton dance studio Sarada Kala Nilayam will host its SKN Dance Fest 2024 — a day of Indian classical dance and music — for two shows on Saturday, Aug. 17, in Southeast Portland.

The festival will be held at New Expressive Works, 810 S.E. Belmont St., with shows 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.

The program will be led by Sri S Ravisankar and will include Indian classical dance and music workshops.

Saturday’s program will feature live orchestra music and dance performances, featuring local talent.

The event is divided into three segments:

Kalpana 2024: A chosen artist will be given the opportunity to perform their own creative piece in collaboration with the SKN orchestra. This year’s Kalpana artist is Jeeno Joseph, a Malayali-American Bharatanatyam artist based in New York. Jeeno will be presenting a Bharatanatyam choreography set to music by Malayali composers and inspired by Malayalam cinema.Jathi Recitation: Junior and senior groups recite rhythmic constructs they’ve mastered in workshops with Mridangam artist S. Ravisankar.Guru Vandana: A staged thematic production focused on qualities that guide daily life. This year’s theme, “Guru Vandana'' emphasizes the significance of a guiding light or guru. The compositions reflect the profound impact a teacher has on learning and personal growth.

All nine SKN Dance Fest's 2024 dances are choreographed by SKN’s Sweta Ravisankar, who is artistic director of the Sarada Kala Nilayam studio.

A Beaverton resident, Ravisankar returned from a two-month trip to India last year , where she attended two classical Indian dance conferences and performed herself. She is a 30-year practitioner of Bharatanatyam, a classical style of dance that dates back centuries ago.

Visit tickettomato.com/event/8834 for ticket information.