Called “poetry in motion…that transcends the bounds of culture” by the Washington Post, the summer program at Sutradhar brings an immersive experience for four weeks, to kids ages 4 to 18 years, from June 17 to July 12, 2024. Started by renowned educator Nilimma Devi who said “art must nourish body and soul,” the camp brings a deep dive into classical Indian theater- storytelling, Kuchipudi dance, acting, martial arts, yoga, mask and prop-making, poetry and script writing, floor painting (i.e. Rangoli) and clay sculpture. After a morning of yoga under the bamboo, campers get to listen to master storytellers before going on to visual art. A “fun-filled” staging of the epic Ramayana is put on by campers on July 11, 2024, as well as a book fair for young authors.
Classes include:?~ Stories told from the Ramayana?~ Stories of African heroines who led slave rebellions while learning how to dolls by Smithsonian diaspora storyteller, Camilla Bryce Laporte
Dance:
~ Kuchipudi introduced in basic steps, hand gestures and full dances
Acting:
~ Classical mimetic technique with micro-movements of eyes, fingers and neck while accessing the 9 states of feeling (i.e. bhava)
Music:
~ World music traditions introduced by Bill Jenkins
~ South Indian vocal introduced by Devi Dutta??Paint, Draw and Sculpt:?~ Make clay Ganesha?~ Draw mandalas using dried flowers, leaves and berries?~ Basics of Patachitra, Rangoli and Madhubani technique??Learn how to:?~ Vinayasa Yoga asanas/sitting in mindfulness?~ Martial Arts in East Indian Thang Ta and Kalaripayattu