Vidya Murthy ’01 Will Perform Various Forms of Indian Dance in New York, October 4

New York, NY, September 12, 2002—Vidya Murthy ’01, who graduated with a degree in sociology, but who was heavily involved in the dance department while at Barnard, will be performing in A Banyan Tree: Roots to Branches, a series of South Asian dance pieces ranging from classical to experimental. The performance will take place Friday, October 4, at 7:30 p.m. in the Ames Auditorium of Lighthouse International at 111 East 59th Street. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $12 for student admission. Portions of the proceeds will go to CARE.

Murthy has studied Bharata Natyam, a classical dance from South India, for the past 17 years. She has studied this form under world-renowned dancer and choreographer Padmabhushan Kamala Narayan of Madras, India, and performed in India and the U.S. at the John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center, the United Nations, the Indian Consulate in New York, and the Madras Music Academy. She is a recipient of the Dance Scholar Award from the Princess Grace Foundation, been named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts from the White House, and is a four-time recipient of the Folk Arts Grant from the New Jersey State Arts Council.

While at Barnard, she studied with Uttara Coorlawala. As a teaching assistant she taught the Classical Indian Dance class on occasions when Coorlawala was unable.

"She did a great job," said Coorlawala. "I find her to be a beautiful dancer."

As a performance, A Banyan Tree uses the anatomy of a Banyan tree to celebrate South Asian dance and trace the South Asian movement lineage from classical roots to contemporary branches. The dancers explore the significance of classical movement to a modern framework with relevance to future generations of South Asian Americans.

Contact: Vidya Murthy, 646-230-7676
Dance Theatre Workshops, Reservations, 212-924-0077
James Griffith, Office of Public Affairs, 212-854-1139