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Arts India US, 1002 Bayley Court, Atlanta, GA (2026)

09/30/2026

Behind the Curtain, Insight #6

Finding your next performance opportunity may have less to do with submitting applications—and more to do with building relationships.

As part of our national research study, Behind the Curtain, we asked U.S. performing arts presenters how they most commonly discover new artists.

81% identified peer recommendations as one of their primary ways of discovering artists.

By comparison, only 36.3% identified open calls as one of their primary discovery methods.

For artists, this doesn't mean you should stop applying to opportunities. It does suggest that relationships matter.

Presenters often rely on trusted colleagues, artists they've worked with, curators, and professional networks to introduce them to new work. Building genuine connections within the field—and creating opportunities for others to experience your work and recommend it—may be just as important as responding to open calls.

This is one of many insights emerging from Behind the Curtain, our national research study examining how U.S. presenters discover, evaluate, and program traditional performing artists.

The full report is available on our website (link in bio).

09/26/2026

ArtsIndiaUS mentor artist Samarth Nagarkar takes the stage at the Kathak Festival 2026, joined by Tejas Tope, Rohan Prabhudesai, and Rohan Misra.

A dynamic presentation of Kathak, rhythm, and musical collaboration at NYKF. ✨

09/20/2026

Have you ever wondered why certain works of art give us goosebumps?

A recent episode of Radiolab explores the fascinating science behind this phenomenon—why certain moments in music, storytelling, and performance can trigger a physical response in our bodies.

It got us thinking.

As artists, we spend years mastering technique, repertoire, and tradition. But what if we also became students of how audiences experience art?

Not to manufacture emotion or reduce artistic practice to neuroscience, rather to better understand what helps people become absorbed, moved, and transformed by a performance.

Could understanding how humans respond to awe, surprise, anticipation, empathy, or emotional release help us think differently about choreography, musical structure, pacing, storytelling, or context?

At Arts India US, we often talk about expanding audiences without changing the art itself. Perhaps part of that work lies in becoming more curious about the human experience of watching, listening, and feeling.

We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Have you ever experienced goosebumps during an Indian classical performance? What do you think caused it?

🎧 Inspired by a recent episode of Radiolab.

09/11/2026

From our Founder:

Last night, I attended a screening of Best of the Best at the , followed by a conversation with the cast and creators. I was with my dear friend and fellow founding member of .m_personal (I was one of the honorary classical dancers 25 years ago!). Several moments from the film and conversation stayed with me.

Director shared that she wanted to play some part in making this cast stars, which I connected with so deeply given our Lotus Fellowship. One of our aspirations is also to create visibility and recognition to help exceptional talent find the audiences it deserves. Great artists don't just need rigorous training; they need platforms that give them access to the world.

I also deeply appreciated hearing speak about the responsibility she felt to do right by the Tamil community, particularly in the film's classical dance scene. Representation isn't simply about being seen—it's about portraying traditions and communities with thoughtfulness and respect.

Producer also spoke about constantly thinking about the audience while making the film. At Arts India US, we often talk about expanding audiences for Indian classical performing arts without changing the art itself. The challenge isn't making the work more accessible by watering it down; it's helping audiences discover meaningful ways into it while preserving the integrity that makes these traditions so extraordinary.

As I left, I found myself wondering: What would an Indian classical performing arts version of this film look like? A story that gives audiences an immersive glimpse into the rehearsals, mentorship, discipline, friendships, humor, and creative questions that shape our artists behind the scenes. Future project, perhaps?!

I'm grateful to creators like , who have helped bring South Asian communities into the mainstream cultural conversation, and to the team behind Best of the Best for continuing that work through a different lens.

Congratulations to everyone involved on a fantastic film. I hope this opens the door to many more stories like it.

09/03/2026

We don't reach out too often, but when we do, we have a lot to say! Our Summer Newsletter is out -- Subscribe now to never miss a beat, or should we say taal? Sign up on our website!

08/26/2026

How do you honor what you've inherited while creating work that feels true to who you are today?

That was the central question of our recent Lotus Fellowship keynote and workshop, Inheritor and Innovator, with acclaimed dancer and choreographer, Mythili Prakash.

In this excerpt, Mythili reflects on her own relationship with inherited repertoire—how much of it is shaped by nostalgia and memory, how much still resonates with who she is today, and how she continues to search for a place where every part of the work feels fully authentic.

Perhaps one of the most meaningful moments for our Fellows wasn't hearing an answer—it was hearing that an artist of Mythili's stature is still asking the question. There is something deeply reassuring in realizing that artistic growth isn't about eliminating uncertainty. It's about continuing to examine your work with honesty, curiosity, and courage.

These are the kinds of conversations we hope define the Lotus Fellowship: encouraging artists to become thoughtful innovators within their traditions—asking not only what they have inherited, but what they want to contribute.

We're incredibly grateful to Mythili for sharing her process so openly with this year's Fellows.

08/19/2026

Every so often, a post comes along that captures a feeling many artists have been quietly dealing with.

Singaporean singer-songwriter Sushma Soma reflects on listening to Philip Glass with awe, then confronting the growing capabilities of AI and wondering what happens to our sense of wonder when creativity itself feels replicable.

What struck us wasn’t the question of whether AI can make art.

It was her question about what makes human creativity meaningful in the first place.

For those of us working in Indian classical music and dance, this feels especially relevant. Our traditions are built not only on technical mastery, but on lived experience, lineage, interpretation, doubt, devotion, and years of learning and searching. The work is shaped as much by the artist as by the art itself.

As AI becomes increasingly capable, perhaps the question isn’t simply whether it can create.

Perhaps it’s about the way we, as humans create, and how that process can inspire and cause for the feeling of wonder.

Thank you to Sushma Soma for articulating this so thoughtfully and for allowing us another lens through which to consider the future of artistic practice.

What do you think? What makes art human?

08/12/2026

There are good reasons artists protect what they create. Original choreography, compositions, concepts, and interpretations take enormous thought and effort—and seeing that work copied or used without acknowledgment can make artists understandably hesitant to share.

But what happens when that fear begins to shape the culture around creating?

Indian classical arts have always grown through learning, exchange, interpretation, and artists influencing one another. Sharing work allows ideas to circulate, conversations to begin, and artists to learn from what others are making.

So how do we protect authorship and insist on proper credit without creating a culture where artists become reluctant to share, experiment openly, or learn from one another?

Perhaps a thriving artistic ecosystem needs both: respect for what belongs to an artist, and generosity around what art can contribute to a larger community.

Where do you draw the line?

Let’s talk.

07/29/2026

For the past two years, we've been exploring a question that many traditional artists in the United States have had for years:

How are decisions made about what, and who, appears on major stages?

Today, we're excited to share the culmination of that work.

"Behind the Curtain" is a national research study examining how presenters discover, evaluate, and program traditional performing artists, using the South Asian genres as a case study. Incubated at the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard University, the project brings together survey data and interviews with artistic directors and programming leaders from performing arts organizations across the country to better understand the systems, and decision-making that shape cultural programming.

This research was born from a simple belief: meaningful change begins with understanding. We wanted to better understand the presenter perspective—creating a shared foundation for artists, institutions, and the broader field to engage in more informed conversations. This report is only the beginning. We hope it sparks new questions, ones which we plan to delve into with time.

Over the past several months, we've shared a selection of insights from the study here on Instagram. The full report offers a much deeper exploration of the findings, along with reflections on what they suggest about the future of traditional performing arts in the United States.

The full report is now available on our website. We look forward to continuing this conversation with all of you. You can also find a presentation of the key findings on our YouTube channel, at the Linkin bio.

07/29/2026

For the past two years, we've been exploring a question that many traditional artists in the United States have had for years:

How are decisions made about what, and who, appears on major stages?

Today, we're excited to share the culmination of that work.

"Behind the Curtain" is a national research study examining how presenters discover, evaluate, and program traditional performing artists, using the South Asian genres as a case study. Incubated at the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard University, the project brings together survey data and interviews with artistic directors and programming leaders from performing arts organizations across the country to better understand the systems, and decision-making that shape cultural programming.

This research was born from a simple belief: meaningful change begins with understanding. We wanted to better understand the presenter perspective—creating a shared foundation for artists, institutions, and the broader field to engage in more informed conversations. This report is only the beginning. We hope it sparks new questions, ones which we plan to delve into with time.

Over the past several months, we've shared a selection of insights from the study here on Instagram. The full report offers a much deeper exploration of the findings, along with reflections on what they suggest about the future of traditional performing arts in the United States.

The full report is now available on our website. We look forward to continuing this conversation with all of you. You can also find a presentation of the key findings on our YouTube channel, at the Linkin bio.

Arts India US

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