History of the Organization in Toronto - Kalanidhi Fine Arts was established in 1991 in Toronto as an incorporated not-for-profit organization and was the first organization from a culturally diverse background to present public festivals in Canada. KFA has taken a pioneering role in presenting the contemporary face of South Asian dance while embracing its traditions and has served as a role model for other culturally diverse festivals in Canada. Beginning in 1993, KFA has produced ten major international festivals and two festivals showcasing emerging artists from Canada, India and the U.S. and presented numerous choreographic laboratories and workshops and master-classes with leading interpreters of the classical and contemporary Indian Dance traditions.

We have exposed North American audiences to the best of international Indian dance and created an awareness of the variety of Indian styles have helped bring to international attention the work of Canadian choreographers such as Menaka Thakkar, Lata Pada, Hari Krishnan, Janak Khendry, Natasha Bakht, Nova Bhattacharya, Jai Govinda, Roger Sinha etc. A major undertaking in 2004 and 2006 was to hold a two-part International Festival and Conference on the past century of Indian Dance. These two festivals presented dance performances in all the major dance styles of India including: Kathak, Manipuri, Kathakali, Mohiniattam, Rabindranath Tagore’s creative dance style (Phase 1) Bharanatayam, Odissi, Chhau, Kuchipudi (Phase 2). Dancers came from India, South Africa, Japan, Malaysia, UK, USA, France and Canada.

We have attracted the most important thinkers and artists to speak and participate in our Conferences and Symposiums. Some special luminaries have included: Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra who we honoured in 1996 in a tribute to his work in reviving and furthering Odissi dance through performance, teaching and choreography; Guru Kalanidhi Narayanan, the great custodian of the traditional art of Abhinaya (expressional dance) in Bharatanatyam; and Chandralekha, a choreographer whose spellbinding contemporary works were first introduced to Canada by Kalanidhi Fine Arts in 1993. In 2009 we held our ninth major festival in which we began our examination of Contemporary Indian Dance. During this conference we began a dialogue on what is contemporary dance to a culture that has its roots in ancient traditions and within the context of North America which has western modern dance origins mixed with dance from other cultures.
 

Festivals and Conferences

1993  New Directions in Indian Dance - An ambitious 6-day event featuring eight of the world's leading Indian dance companies from India, Canada, the U.S.A and France, 16 solo artists, 26 scholars from eight countries. The Festival received international critical acclaim and created a major impact on people’s awareness of a broad range of Indian dance styles.

1994  Navodaya (New Dawn) Festival – A five-day festival focusing on emerging dancers and choreographers of Indian dance. Repeated in 1997.

1996  Navanartan Festival and Conference - A festival showcasing new works by established Canadian Indian choreographers.

1997  Collaborated with Harbourfront in organizing a five evening performance by Chandralekha Troupe from India and its later six city tour of Canada followed by her creative residency at Toronto Dance Theatre.

1999  5th Kala Nidhi Dance Festival - Featuring traditional and contemporary work of artists from Canada the U.S. and India, centering around a mini Kathak conference, (first in North America) chaired by the renowned guru Kumudini Lakhia.

2002  Bharatnatyam Festival and Symposium - A 3-day Bharatnatyam Festival and Symposium exploring another rich tradition–evoking a sense of the living lesson of the outstanding Gurus of the 20th century and discussing contemporary challenges.

2003  6th Kala Nidhi Dance Festival - YUVAKALA
A five-day event celebrating the dawn of the new millennium by projecting the visions of young dancers and choreographers from Canada, the USA, England and India. The festival featured a 10-day choreographic lab involving collaboration between young dancers from Toronto and Birmingham (UK)

2004  7th Kala Nidhi Dance Festival - A Century of Indian Dance, Phase One - Five evenings of performances by some of the leading artists and practitioners of the featured dance styles - Kathak, Manipuri, Kathakali, Mohiniattam and Rabindranath Tagore’s creative dance style. Artists from India, France, the U.S and Canada highlighted the vitality of these dance styles.

2006  8th Kala Nidhi Dance Festival and Conference – A Century of Indian Dance, Phase Two – Ten days featuring twenty-five exciting performances from seven countries (India, Canada, U.S., South Africa, Mayaysia, England , and Japan), and the dance styles Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Chhau

2009  Contemporary Choreography in Indian Dance Festival and Conference – 6 evenings of performances by thirteen performers and companies from Germany, Canada, and India. Conference featured guest speakers: Sadanand Menon (India), Susanne Linke (Germany), Brian Webb (Edmonton), Natasha Bakht (Ottawa), Emily Cheung (Toronto), Zab Maboungou (Montreal), Uttara Coorlawala (New York), Adithi Mangeldas (India), Menaka Thakkar (Toronto) and Sunil Kothari (India).

2010  Spring Dance Festival and Conference – Three weekend performances included contemporary weekend with Daksha Sheth Dance Company; Bharatanatyam Weekend with emerging Canadian soloists and Kathak weekend emerging Canadian soloists. 10 day residency in Kalaria Payattu and one-day Symposium with Daksha Sheth.

2011  Contemporary Choreography in Indian Dance Part II – 5 evenings of performances from England, India and Canada. Featured performers included Santosh Nair – Sadhya Dance, Nina Rajarani – Srishti, Kumudini Lakhia – Kadamb, Nova Bhattarcharya, Hari Krishnan – inDANCE, Bageshree Vase, Joanna Das with Toronto Table Ensemble, and Sudeshna Maulik.

2012  Spring Festival of Indian Dance – March 14-17th, Fleck Dance Theatre, Harbourfront Centre – four evenings of contemporary dance featuring Anjika Manipuri Dance Troupe from Calcutta and new works by Canada’s top Indian dance companies.