We are always moving. Always leaving and arriving. Walking, dancing, traveling. We move from one room to the next one, from a philosophy or an idea that no longer defines us to a new one that better describes who we have become. From a place that is no longer home, to a land that promises a better future. From childhood to adulthood to old age, we are always on the move, changing, evolving, growing, until our final curtain call.

A combination of aerial circus arts, contemporary dance, and theatre, “Fragmented Journeys” presents a series of glimpses into the everyday journey of life. The small interval of time the artists share with us is but a fragment of their personal journey.

Hemali Boorada, Choreographer/Curator/Performer

Hemali Boorada is an alumnus of the Shivamanohari School of Performing Art, based in Canada. She has been the lead dancer in the SSDM Ensemble for over 8 years. Hemali has been training under her mother Smt.Gomathi Boorada for over 18 years. She has been further groomed in the nuances of Kuchipudi by Natya Ratna Sri Pasumarthy Venkateswara Sarma, Mrs. Padmavani Mosalikanti, Surendranadh Muramalla, Bijina Balakrishnan; as well seeking academic guidance from Dr. Yashoda Thakore. Hemali has had the opportunity to train under Mrs. Swathi Gudepuneedi-Atluri and Mr. Hari Rama Murthy during a month-long intensive in New York. She regularly travels both nationally and internationally presenting the Kuchipudi repertoire in places such as Canada, the United States, Europe, India and Indonesia. Hemali is now stepping into her choreographic journey; her first project ‘Bhujangam’ with the renowned Bala Boys (of the Grammy Nominated Berklee Indian Ensemble) was a success, amassing over 25,000 views. Hemali is currently pursuing her Masters in Fine Arts – Kuchipudi alongside her post-graduate degree in Law. With over 7 years of experience under her belt, she is teaching under the branch of Shivamonhari School of Performing Arts, a world class Kuchipudi Dance Institute.

Marla Palakkamanil, Choreographer/Performer

Marla Palakkamanil Gill is an Edmonton born and raised professional dancer with extensive training in the classical Indian dance form of Kathak. She began her training in Kathak and Bharatanatyam with Usha Gupta and has continued her Kathak training with Guru Sudeshna Maulik. Marla has reached a point in her artistic practice and career development that has placed her at the forefront of a tradition that she has worked most diligently to achieve.Throughout her dance career, Marla’s strong foundation in dance has enabled her to train with renowned artists including Pandit Birju Maharaj, Sandhya Desai, Maulik Shah, Nirupama and Rajendra, Anuj Mishra, and Uma Dogra. Marla has performed in various festivals in Canada and the United States over the years. Marla has embarked on a number of tours across both Canada and India, under the Usha Gupta Dance Entourage and the Brian Webb Dance Company. Apart from her contributions to dance, Marla is a clinical pharmacist with advanced prescribing authorization and injection certification. Marla is currently completing her PhD in Epidemiology at the University of Alberta.

Shakthi Ganesh, Choreographer/Performer

Shakthi Ganesh is a student at the University of Calgary and has been learning Bharatanatyam since the tender age of three at the Shakthi Shethralaya Dance school under Dr. Karthika Devi Ganesh. She has trained in the Pandanallur style of Bharatanatyam for the past 17 years. Her Bharatanatyam skills have impressed many, and have won multiple awards, such as the Youth of distinction award 2019 and a place in the Guiness Book of World records for dancing over 3 hours with dancers across the globe. Shakthi has been teaching young children Bharatanatyam across Calgary, Alberta, in hopes of sharing the love she has for the art form. She is now the Dance director of Shakthi Shethralaya Dance school. Shakthi hopes to earn a  Ph.D. in Bharatanatyam while pursuing a career in the mental health field.

This trio is composed of 2nd generation Traditional Indian artists, hailing from 3 different classical art forms: Kuchipudi (Hemali), Kathak (Marla) and Bharathnatyam (Shakthi). Working on a choreography, known in India as a “Jugalbandi” meaning ‘entwined’, the artists will highlight each art form under one song. The work will exhibit the beautiful intricacies and movements of each form concluding with a merging of the three styles together. This piece is a confluence of the individuality and similarity of our dance forms, hence the name ‘Trikōn’: meaning 3 points.

Growing up in Canada, we all struggled to find a balance in our identities. Dance has been a big grounding feature for all of us. We share very similar stories;  growing up we started to notice how in India there are vast differences in tradition and customs by state. This applies to our art as well. As we grew, we were able to see the beauty in the similarities and cohesion of Indian art. With this piece we want to show the unity in art throughout India. We will each be presenting our unique art form, ending with a confluence of all 3 styles (Kuchipudi, Kathak and Bharathnatyam). This performance will be a pure and uncolonized version of Indian dance and tradition. Though raised in Canada, we are proud to continue presenting our art in its true and authentic form.

Artists Supported by Bernadette Gasslein