2021-22 Rasa Festival

Rasa is an innovative India-themed multi-arts festival, produced by Akshara, an Ann Arbor, Michigan based multi-arts organization. It is held annually in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and the greater Detroit area.

This year, the Festival will present one or two in-depth events monthly, from October 2021 to April 2022. In addition to presenting new work by artists, they will engage them in short but meaningful discussions about the process behind their work and their inspiration to create new work.

Please check this page to see new events as they premiere. 

Saturday, October 23rd, 11am | Songs of Dusk

This tribute to renowned poet Batakrishna Dey features dance choreographies by noted Indian classical dancers to his songs of the Golden Era.

Saturday, November 13th, 1pm | Film Showcase

A panel discussion of three short films by Indian filmmakers.

Saturday, December 11th, 10:00am | Dance Showcase

A dance showcase will featuring four accomplished Indian classical dancers, two of them in solo presentations and one in duet.

Saturday, January 15th, 1:00pm | Dance Film Showcase: "Rasashwat"

A short showcase of Indian dance films, made both in India and in the USA.

Saturday, January 29th, 10:00am | Solo Theater: Camera Obscuras

An excerpt from Camera Obscuras: written, designed, and directed by Vinay Sharma, featuring readings from Sadat Hasan Manto.

Saturday, February 12th, 10:00am | Music

Join us for musical performances from Zia Ul-Karim, Shruthi Veena Vishwanath, and Dr. Amie Maciszewski with the Sangeet Millennium Ensemble.

Saturday, February 26th, 10:00am | Odissi Dance

Sreyashi Dey presents a new expressional dance/abhinaya choreographic work based on the rasa or emotion of viraha or separation.

Saturday, March 12th, 10:00am | Visual Art: Drawn, Burnt and Woven from the Womb

Join us for an exhibition of visual art by six Indian women artists, curated by Chandrima Bhattacharyya. 

Saturday, March 26th, 10:00am | Dance Theater: Kunti Kaunteya Katha

Join us for a performance of Kunti Kaunteya Katha, by Sreyashi Dey and Dheeman Bhattacharyya, featuring narration by Keshob Bhattacharyya. 

Saturday, April 16th, 10:00am | Music Showcase II: From ‘Bandish’ to ‘Gaan’

This program will demonstrate how North Indian classical music and its varieties of Raga based compositions influenced the creation and emergence of new genres in Bangla traditional music. 

Saturday, April 30th, 10:00am | Dance Showcase II

In this dance showcase dedicated to the performing arts from the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, we feature a range of dance forms – classical, semi-classical, neo-classical and Rabindrik, the style developed by poet Rabindranath Tagore.