Purush: When Power Becomes Poetry

Event Date: May 2, 2026 (7:30PM)

Mandala Makers Festival continues with this evening-length performance that explores improvisation across classical Indian dance traditions, including Bharatanatyam, Kathak, and Odissi, by male dancers.

Dancers trained in Bharatanatyam, Kathak, and Odissi interpret shared musical compositions through their distinct movement vocabularies and rhythmic sensibilities. As each artist responds spontaneously to the music, the performance reveals how different classical forms approach improvisation—through unique body language, rhythmic dialogue, and expressive interpretation—creating a dynamic conversation between tradition, individuality, and creativity. Performers include Colin Mascarenhas, an Odissi artist and founding member of the Aikyam Odissi Dance Collective in Chicago, and Kiran James, a Chicago-based dancer, choreographer, educator, and nonprofit leader with 35 years of training in Bharatanatyam whose performances and embodied practice are rooted in poetic storytelling and social justice.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW