Nootana

Nootana, meaning Innovation in Sanskrit, is a non profit providing the DC Metropolitan area with liv

01/22/2026

Tradition is not fragile.
It moves, adapts, and lives through practice and community.

01/10/2026

BTW: 1) video of last night & 2) shots from our first year 13+ years ago!

*HOME*

(Check out our pinned posts to see how to audition & DM us!)

01/08/2026

𝐖𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐮𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞.

Together, we connect to our historic roots and cultivate new traditions through our Nootana artist family, Joe’s Movement Emporium, our community partners, and the families and fans who support us through shared hours of trust, camaraderie, and care.

09/13/2025

✨ One week away. The cosmos is calling. ✨

Nootana’s Eclipse & Equinox premieres Sept 20 at 8 PM and Sept 21 at 4 PM at Joe’s Movement Emporium.
An immersive journey of Indian classical music and dance—woven with rhythm, story, and starlight.

🎟 Tickets are flying fast and we will sell out → nootana.org

Don’t wait. Step into the universe with us.

08/24/2025

🌑✨ Mark your calendars: Nootana’s 13th season opens with a celestial immersion — Eclipse & Equinox — a new performance exploring the balance between shadow and light, disruption and harmony, mind and movement.

Timed with this year’s partial solar eclipse and the September equinox, this original production draws inspiration from cosmic rhythms that have guided civilizations for centuries. The eclipse reminds us what it means to be temporarily veiled. The equinox, when day and night stand in near-perfect balance, marks a turning point — a space between.

Through the language of Indian classical music and dance, our artists will take you through this liminal space.

🌕 This is not just a performance — it’s a journey through cycles, transitions, and the stories we tell to understand them.

🎭 Live at Joe’s Movement Emporium
📅 Saturday, Sept 20 at 8PM
📅 Sunday, Sept 21 at 4PM

🎟️ Tickets at nootana.org
📲 Or tap the link in bio

Directed by Rishi Das and brought to life by a remarkable ensemble of dancers and musicians, Eclipse & Equinox is part ritual, part concert, part catharsis.

We can’t wait to share this with you.

04/30/2025

Nootana is an award-winning (NBC 2018), volunteer-based Indian Classical Music and Dance performing arts ensemble rooted in the Washington, DC area. As we begin our 13th year this summer, we remain 100% volunteer-run—with over 30 passionate artists from across the DMV coming together weekly to rehearse, create, and perform as one ensemble.

We’re proud to showcase a wide range of Indian classical styles, and we’re always looking for new musicians and dancers from all backgrounds with classical training to join our growing family—whether you’re performing on stage, supporting productions behind the scenes, or helping shape the future of our performances and community engagements.

Interested in auditioning for Nootana? Here’s how our 3-step process works:

Step 1: A Zoom chat with Rishi, our Founder/Director, to get to know each other better. It’s informal and conversational, just to connect and talk about your background.

Step 2: An in-person audition, where you’ll present a short piece (we’ll decide what makes sense during Step 1).

Step 3: Stay for a full practice session with the ensemble that same evening.

Auditions (Steps 2 & 3) are held select Sundays at 5pm in Mount Rainier, MD. Step 1 must be scheduled a few days beforehand. While many of us carpool after joining, auditionees are expected to arrange their own transportation.

Whether you’re a vocalist, percussionist, dancer, or instrumentalist—if you love the arts and want to grow with a dedicated, warm-hearted team, reach out! We’d love to meet you.

04/06/2025

The song “Hamari Atariya Pe” (recorded 1971) fits perfectly here - English meaning “At our doorstep” - our wonderful, talented Nootana family before our performance at sold out Garden of Art gala last night (4/5)!

DM for Audition info if you are a trained artist in any style of dance or music from any background/race/expression!

Nootana Indian Classical Music and Dance, is an award-winning performing arts ensemble now in its 13th year. Nootana, meaning “Innovation,” in Sanskrit, continues to preserve the rich traditions and roots of Indian Classical Music and Indian Classical Dance while fostering innovation through the incorporation of music and dance from all around the world. Over the last 13 years, Nootana’s artists have created original interpretations of centuries-old music, composed and choreographed new pieces, and integrated an array of instruments, dance forms, styles, cultures, stories, and perspective all told through the rich traditions and structures of the Indian Classical Arts. Nootana’s impact is continually applauded by the community through sold shows for all 13 years, an award from NBC for its impact to the DC Arts Community, and of course its continuous growth within our Joe’s community

Nootana began performing at Joe’s Movement Emporium since 2015, with about 12 artists; now the ensemble is over 35 artists. In 2016, they debuted their original dance drama Looking Glass: Reflections of the Mind, written by director and founder, Rishi Das. This past September, Nootana presented this dance drama again, and was met with incredible appreciation and applaud for exploring mental health through the artistry of Indian Classical Music and Dance!

Nootana continues to enrich and educate the community through performances and workshops. Their goal is to educate through cross cultural appreciation. As an audience member you may wonder during a program, “I see a banjo on stage, but what is that other instrument?” Or “that dancer isn’t dancing pirouettes but her spins are fierce!” This often inspires our audience to learn about the ensemble and the artistry presented.

Join nootana in stage or in the audience, follow and share.

04/05/2025

See you tonight at for our nearly sold out garden of art gala! Limited tix available, see link in bio!

03/31/2025

Preparations under way with our original saree costumes for our performance of a new piece at on 4/5/25 for the Garden of Art Gala! See you there!

03/29/2025

Joe's Movement Emporium inspires creativity through cultural experiences supporting arts education, job training and a creative community.

12/07/2024

Visiting some of our friends 🔱✝️💃🏿🕺🏿🪩

Address

3309 Bunker Hill Rd
Mount Rainier, MD
20712

Website

http://www.nootana.org/

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