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About ARZOO
Arzoo Dance Theatre is a professional dance company, creating and presenting contemporary dance theatre works using a variety of dance forms from east and west, seeking a new choreographic voice that blends cultural aesthetics, ancient knowledge and contemporary artistic thought. The company brings to life a new vision of Indian Classical dance including Kathak, Chhau and contemporary movement. It celebrates the vision of cultural diversity in all art forms.
Arzoo Dance Theatre was founded and incorporated in 2001 as a not-for-profit dance company to provide a structural basis for the work of dancer and choreographer Deepti Gupta. Over the years the company has created, produced and performed diverse experimental dance pieces in collaboration with many artists and arts organizations. The company is now expanding its mandate to include activities that foster the development of professional Kathak dancers as well as more community-based interactions.
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ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Deepti Gupta
Brought up in Ottawa, Deepti is a dancer/choreographer of the elegant Kathak style of dance. A disciple of Sri Munna Lal Shukla, renowned guru of the Lucknow Gharana she has recently been training and working under the guidance of Kathak legend Pundit Birju Maharaj. Deepti holds an MA in Dance from York University, Toronto and is a noted scholar, teacher and choreographer both in Canada and in India. Over the years she has received many grants, awards and commissions to support her creative work including a Chalmers Award, NAC commissions and a Banff Centre for the Arts Residency. Deepti’s choreographic work is at the cutting edge of contemporary South Asian dance and she has collaborated with a diverse range of international musicians, designers, digital and new media artists. Her work has been presented by the National Arts Centre, National Gallery of Canada, the Canada Dance Festival, Kalanidhi Fine Arts, Raga Mala of Canada, Danceworks, Peterborough New Dance, Banff Centre for the Arts, Tangente, Harbourfront Centre as well as many community presenters across Canada. Also Danspace Project, DTW, New York, Anila Sinha Foundation, International House and Kalapriya, Chicago. Vasantotsav, Delhi, Panchatatva Festival Mumbai amongst others.
Her choreographies have been critically acclaimed in the New York Times, the Village Voice and Dance Connection Magazine. Deepti has performed extensively in Canada, India, U.S. and U.K as a soloist as well as with her company.
A relentless experimentalist with a variety of theatrical interests she was awarded the Dora for costume design. She has also worked extensively in Indian theatre as actor, dramaturge and script writer.
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COLLABORATORS
Nick Storring – composer and cello/prepared cello/electric cello
Nick Storring is a Toronto-based composer and musician. Winner of the Canadian Music Centre’s 2011 Toronto Emerging Composer Award. Recent commissions include a piece for Arraymusic, Montréal’s AKOUSMA Festival, a solo harp work funded by the CMC’s Norman Burgess Fund, and a solo piano work, Byland, for Eve Egoyan. Dance collaborations include soundscapes for choreographers, notably Yvonne Ng (Magnetic Fields), and Deepti Gupta (The Lion’s Roar). www.nickstorring.ca
Said Mushfiq Hashimi
http://www.mushfiq.ca
Said Mushfiq Hashimi is a master of Indian classical music, a composer, and an experienced music and arts educator. Born in Kabul, he holds a Bachelor degree from the University of Kabul where he studied Theatre, and a Master’s degree in Music from Holland’s renowned Rotterdam Conservatory. Mushfiq is the disciple of Pandit Ajoy Chakraborthy of the Patiala Gharana (school). Mushfiq moved to Canada in 2001 and settled in Ottawa where he established a school and the Mushfiq Ensemble. As a singer and musician, Mushfiq’s goal is to develop a body of work that brings his Afghan heritage together with his musical training in North Indian classical music, blending Western vocal technique into his interpretations.
Tricia Postle holds a degree in medieval studies and music from U of T. She performs musically as an instrumentalist (psaltries and hurdy-gurdies) and vocalist (mezzosoprano) In 2015 she performed as an actor and musician at the Cloisters museum in New York as part of the touring production of the 15th century play “Mankind.” In addition to her music, she is a poet and arts co-ordinator. A song cycle based on her poetry, Ash Roses, was released in 2014 through the Canadian Art Song Project, and since 2007 she has been developing the Majlis Art Garden in Toronto’s Queen West as a venue for the performing arts (majlisarts.com) Tricia is a founder member of Pneuma Ensemble, which specializes in early music. www.pneumaensemble.com,
Reshmi Chetram Dave
Reshmi Network Group of Companies is an umbrella company promoting, preserving and exploring indian dance & wellness. With three divisions; Tarana Dance- Learn to Dance, #liveWELL -Fitness & Lifestyle, Natya Arts – Non Profit
Reshmi Chetram Dace, the director of RN Group is an Indo Canadian Performing Artist, Choreographer & Creative Director. Having trained with her mother, Deviekha Chetram, founder of the Tarana Dance Centre in Toronto for over 20 years, she went onto further her knowledge in Kathak under the tutelage of Kathak legend, Guru Pandit Birju Maharaj in New Delhi, India from 2005-2012. Reshmi is recognized as a prominent ambassador for Indian Dance & Wellness in North America. .
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Board
- Stacey Jenkins – Chair
- Mona Aggarwal – Treasurer
- Daniel Mathai – Member
- Rebecca Catching – Member
- Mary Downes – Member
Arzoo Dance Theatre is Grateful for ongoing support from many well-wishers from the community.
Mrs. Kamlesh Gupta
Mrs. Robin Vaile-Robinson
AA Pharmachem