Leela Foundation

Leela Foundation is grateful and privileged to be one of the recipients of the North Carolina Arts Council’s 2024-2025 grants awards. An endorsement from organizations like NC Arts Council validates the work we strive to do for the enrichment of the community. Thank you North Carolina Arts Council!

We are pleased to announce the recipients of our Fiscal Year 2024-25 grant awards, totaling $11.5 million. 366 grant awards will support nonprofit arts organizations, schools, afterschool programs, municipalities, and artists in all 100 counties this year. Funding priorities this year include: community outreach and audience engagement, capacity building, connecting K-12 students with practicing artists, public-private partnerships, and military & veteran outreach.

This year’s grant awards significantly increase the N.C. Arts Council’s investment in small and mid-sized arts organizations. 85 new organizations are receiving flexible funding through an expanded category called Sustaining Support, more than doubling our agency’s investment in work that promotes stability and sustainability in the arts sector.

Learn more: https://mailchi.mp/dncr/art-matters-august-2024

📢📢 Calling all Triangle and RDU dancers!

Leela Foundation is thrilled to offer two opportunities to learn from one of the rising stars of Bharatanatyam, Meera Sreenarayanan, this September. Meera is a distinguished artist, celebrated for her captivating abhinaya and advanced fluency in the classical form. Her workshops are holistic learning environments where she tailors the experience to each participant. Don't miss this chance to deepen your practice with one of these workshops:

Intermediate Level Workshop: Bhadrakali Stuti
Open to intermediate dancers with experience in Thillanas.
Saturday, September 14, 10 AM - 12 PM
Monday, September 16 & Tuesday, September 17, 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Advanced Level Workshop: Bhajan Sree Ramachandra
Open to advanced dancers and teachers familiar with abhinaya pieces.
Saturday, September 14, 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Monday, September 16 & Tuesday, September 17, 6:45 PM - 8:45 PM

Reserve your spot today! Learn more and register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScECjyAn9sWk5UCno-kN5tQnLG40OsR_e2vA5U1UyByqw1fTQ/viewform

These events are partly funded by the Project Support Grant from North Carolina Arts Council, Mission Support Grant from United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, and Cultural Arts Non-Profit Grants Program from the Town of Cary, NC.

We are excited to invite all visual artists in the Triangle Area to Leela Foundation’s 2nd Annual Community Exhibition. We look forward to celebrating your artistry and your contribution in making our community stronger, more diverse, and resilient.

"

Tickets now available for "Dancing the Divine Blues," a Bharatanatyam performance by Meera Sreenarayan on Sunday, September 15, 2024!

"Dancing the Divine Blues" invites you on a journey into the profound symbolism of blue, a color that represents the infinite and the unfathomable. Just as the ocean and sky stretch beyond the limits of perception, so too does the divine take on these celestial hues.

Meera Sreenarayanan is a leading Bharatanatyam artist from India. Lauded as a "sensitive dancer" for her nuanced expressions and technical excellence, she brings a deep level of emotion and expertise to all her works.

Get your tickets today to partake in an exciting and memorable performance by one of India's leading artists!

Purchase Tickets - https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/79810040/dancing-the-divine-blues-a-bharatanatyam-performance-by-meera-sreenarayanan-cary-cary-arts-center

Learn More - https://www.leela-foundation.org/post/dancing-the-divine-blues-a-performance-by-meera-sreenarayan

This event is partly funded by the Project Support Grant from North Carolina Arts Council, Mission Support Grant from United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, and Cultural Arts Non-Profit Grants Program from the Town of Cary, NC.

Leela Foundation is excited to bring “Dancing the Divine Blues,” a performance by Meera Sreenarayanan to the Triangle area Sunday, September 15, 2024 at 3:30PM EST.

Meera is an exceptional Bharatanatyam dancer originally from Guruvayar, Kerala. Meera is known for her graceful movements, agile dance techniques and captivating storytelling.

In addition to her performance, Leela Foundation will be hosting intermediate and advanced level dance workshops with Meera on September 14, 16 and 17. Stay tuned for more details about her performance and workshop events with Leela Foundation!

This event is partly funded by the Project Support Grant from NC Arts Council , Mission Support Grant from United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County , and Cultural Arts Non-Profit Grants Program from the Town of Cary .

Sign up for our e-newsletter to stay updated on all Leela Foundation events! 🔗 Link in bio to subscribe 📧

The dance world mourns the loss of another legend. Yamini Krishnamurthy’s dance defied explanation, captivating a generation raised on the performances of such icons. We salute the inimitable Yamini Krishnamurthy. May she rest in peace.

PC: The Hindu

The dance world mourns the loss of another legend. Yamini Krishnamurthy's dance defied explanation, captivating a generation raised on the performances of such icons. We salute the inimitable Yamini Krishnamurthy. May she rest in peace.
PC: The Hindu

Meet & Greet with is going on right now. Amazing pieces of art! Come on over

We, at Leela are thankful to our Chairperson, Sampada Agarwal for bringing this amazing lineup of events by master Warli artist, Anil Vangad this week. We hope you will make use of this opportunity to learn from one of the best!
You can find details of all the events here - https://www.leela-foundation.org/events-1.

Another great doyen of the dance world has passed! But his legacy lives on. We at Leela mourn the passing of legendary dancer, C.V. Chandrasekhar. Heartfelt condolences!

ATMA SHANTI
GURU C.V. CHANDRASEKHAR (22 May 1935 - 19 June 2024)

A legendary dance exponent, Prof. C.V. Chandrasekhar fondly known as Chandru Anna and "Chandrasekhar Sir," specialized in Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam under the able guidance of Rukmini Devi Arundale. He imbibed from his mentor the best of Indian art, culture and aesthetics. He served the Benaras Hindu University and MS University of Baroda and retired as the Head and Dean of the Faculty of Performing Arts of MS University of Baroda.

C.V. Chandrasekhar was a multi-faceted personality being a dancer, choreographer, researcher, musician, academician, composer and highly acclaimed teacher of Bharatanatyam. His presentation of Bharatanatyam technique was at its finest and an inspiration for all dancers. He has a number of music and dance compositions to his credit and his dance dramas have been highly acclaimed for their individuality and innovative approach. He was the artistic director of his dance institution Nrityashree in Chennai, along with his wife Jaya.

Documentary filmmaker Vinu Vasudevan and Kuchipudi exponent Madhavi Mallampalli have made a film titled NRITHYA GANDHARVA: PROF. C. V. CHANDRASEKHAR, HIS ART & LIFE that was released on Jan 24, 2021 on YouTube. He received the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi award, Kalidas Samman and Padma Bhushan in 2011.

Sincere condolences to his near and dear ones and the extended artiste family.
FINAL RITES ON JUNE 20 AT 10AM AT BESANT NAGAR CREMATORIUM, CHENNAI.

Art lovers, please check this event happening in the Triangle Area.

Please join us to watch this groundbreaking dance drama around the lives of two historical women scholars and poets from 17th century India. It will be a sensory feast, bringing together dancers from two dance schools, live orchestra accompaniment by talented musicians, dramatic storytelling and enchanting dance.
Get your tickets at www.sifaa.org now!

Leela Foundation is extremely proud of Sampada Agarwal Ansimit by Sampada, the grant winning muralist who is bringing artistic brilliance to the Town of Morrisville!

Sampada Kodagali Agarwal is the Chair of the Board of Directors at Leela Foundation. We celebrate your talents and your contributions to visual arts in the community!

Congratulations Sampada!

Leela Foundation is thankful to the illustrious panelists that joined our visiting artist from India, Vaibhav Arekar, in the engaging discussion titled, "Canvas of Change: Navigating the Ever-Changing Landscape/Shifting Paradigms of Art".

We discussed various issues such as:
1. Collaboration towards an inclusive and dynamic arts ecosystem
2. Concert/Sabha Kutcheri experience in India and the USA
3. Significant shift(s) in the art world in the last few years
4. Traditional dance forms blending into contemporary dance instruction
5. Common themes that flow across different folklores
6. Rekindling passion for art in later, adult life after a hiatus
7. Barriers to the PravAha of creativity and artistic flow
Socio-economic barriers and Diversity Equity and Inclusion in the Arts
8. STEM education versus STEAM
9. Portrayal of romantic love (ShringAra) in traditional, classical dance versus Indian cinema/reality shows. Responsibility towards minors
10, Social media fatigue from having to constantly engage the audience. FoMO

We are making a playlist of the discussion available to you per your requests. It is organized into short chapters for easy navigation.

We look forward to your continuous engagement and feedback on the panel discussion topics shared in the recordings.

A huge thank you to our panelists, Madhu Rangappagowda, South Indian Fine Arts Academy (SIFAA), Vaibhav Arekar, Ragen Carlile, Zoe van Buren, Kriti Rakesh, Ramaa Manjrekar and to our moderator, Mini Santhosh.

Thanks to Shruti Santhosh for recording the event.

Pravaha-Navigating the Ever-Changing Landscape of Art-Panel Discussion Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

Thank you to Shilpa Govind of Localista for their support to our Foundation and our programming! Here's an exciting upcoming event on Saturday, April 27 at noon. Please come out for free workshops and to support local vendors!!

Thank you to each one of our esteemed panelists for sharing such wonderful insights and varied perspectives on Pravaha: Changing of Canvas as they delved deep into the subject of the ever-evolving landscape of Art.
The discussion was beautifully moderated by our esteemed Board of Director, Mini Santosh Ranganathan.

The questions crafted by Mini were well targeted and it never ever felt scripted.

We had an engaged audience. They were completely immersed in the conversation and loved every moment of it.

Thank you to our community partners Shilpa Govind of Localista and SIFAA and to everyone for their support!

We look forward to seeing you today for the performance, Pravaha-Changing Canvases April 21st at Alston Ridge Middle School at 4:30 pm. Please buy your tickets if you have not already.

https://www.leela-foundation.org/event-details/pravaha-changing-canvases-a-performance-by-vaibhav-arekar