Check out Ulka and Danish in action, this summer!
Summer is a great time to catch the Dancing Storytellers performing and we have several free events to choose from:
Summer Shows 2023
New Dancing Storytellers!
We’ve expanded and are proud to introduce our two talented new Dancing Storytellers, Danish Bhandara and Gurmukhi Bevli, who have been performing our signature show Indian Mythology and Me in schools, festivals, libraries and even the zoo!
In both pictures, Danish is on the left and Gurmukhi is on the right
See them in action this Spring!
Sunday, April 23, 2023 at 11:30am and 1pm: Indian Mythology and Me performance at the Wild About Storytelling in Adventure Theater at the Winnick Family Children’s Zoo in the LA Zoo
Saturday, May 6, 2023 at 1:15 and 2:15pm: Teaching Demonstrations at The Beckman Art and Science Family Day at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Danish and Gurmukhi have served 7,500 kids in the 2022-23 school year and the kids love them!
They are also leading our new school residency program that features South Asian dances and culture!
Danish teaching her new Bollywood lesson: Dancing in the Rain!
A fun Instagram reel of Gurmukhi teaching kids Bhangra and Bharatanatyam in the Santa Ana school district: Gurmukhi teaching
A student letter to Danish after her teaching which says “Dear Dancing Story tellers, thankyou for spending your time with us! I really enjoyed how we made up our own dance! I can’t believe that dancing can be actually telling a story! You inspired me to dance and tell stories! Thank you again Story tellers! And there is an image of a girl with a peace sign in her fingers saying “Dancing Storytellers Rock!”
Dancing Storytellers perform at the Skirball Cultural Center
The Dancing Storytellers were honored to perform our signature show “Indian Mythology and Me” at the Skirball Cultural Center, July 31, 2022
Some highlights of the show were the addition of the incredible musician and composer Neelamjit Dhillon and the well versed American Sign Language interpreter, Zelda Alpert-Torres.
Dancing Storytellers Sheetal Gandhi and Shyamala Moorty with guest musician Neelamjit Dhillon
And we will always remember this wonderfully engaged audience who loved participating so much that when Sheetal called for 3 volunteers, we ended up with a whole stage full of kids pretending to be mice!
Thank you to Skirball Cultural Center for inviting us to perform and hosting us so graciously.
Celebrating 10 years!
The Dancing Storytellers have been performing our original show,
Indian Mythology and Me, for 10years!
The Dancing Storytellers, have been touring this show to schools, libraries, museums and theaters all over Southern California for 10 years! Now the Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts did a beautiful taping of it and it is available for booking through the Center, contact ArtsTeach@SCFTA.org. Get a taste in the teaser below!
https://share.scfta.org/watch/j8bhdLFb1SzYrpKX4gjio3
Indian Mythology and Me was created by Sheetal Gandhi, Shyamala Moorty and Ulka Simone Mohanty
BOOKING INFO HERE
Live and pre-recorded virtual shows!
Our signature show, Indian Mythology and Me, is now being performed live through zoom and shown pre-recorded in Elementary Schools and libraries throughout Southern CA!
Join us for interactive virtual show live May 20, 4-5pm, through the LA County Library
Information: http://lacountylibrary.org/asian-pacific-american-heritage-month/
Free Registration: http://colapl.wufoo.com/forms/zypzv5p0sc9wl6/
Here is a sneak preview from a rehearsal with a live audience:
We are currently booking virtual shows into LA County through the Los Angeles Music Center On Tour
And we are booking into Orange County through the Arts Teach Program at the Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts. This Spring they have a special Equity, Diversity and Inclusion program that is bringing subsidized performances to schools. Check it out this important offering and the amazing artists featured here.
Virtual Stories and Showcases
During shelter-in-place life, we are missing all the real life interactions with kids, their laughter, surprise, and fun facial expressions. Until we can be back on stage, we hope you enjoy the little opportunities below to engage with us on-line. Please share with kids, families, schools, friends, grandparents…anyone that will enjoy a bit of dance, storytelling, and South Asian culture!
Check us out featured in the Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ Arts Teach Virtual Showcase:
10am, May 27, 2020
Register HERE
Join the showcase and see the Dancing Storytellers, our sister group the AMAN Dance Educators and so many more incredible artists.
If you prefer to watch at your own leisure, we also created a short video that teaches some fun hand gestures and includes an excerpt of our assembly show, Indian Mythology and Me, made for the Music Center’s Artivities.
And just remember,
“no matter who you are, no matter where you’re from,
we wish peace to everyone!” – Indian Mythology and Me
Dancing Storytellers coming to the Santa Fe Springs City Library
Our popular show Indian Mythogy and Me will be performed by Ulka Simone Mohanty and Shyamala Moorty. Interactive fun for the whole family, we hope to see you there! Santa Fe Springs is just North of Long Beach and South of Whittier.
Dancing Storytellers performing at the Segerstrom Center!
After a well received performance at KidWallah, part of the ArtWallah Festival, the Dancing Storytellers are rehearsing to present a newly improved excerpt of our show, “The ‘Summ’ of All Things” at the Segerstrom Center in September!
Kidwallah 2018, photos by Adnan Hussain
COME JOIN US!
Sept 15, 2018
10:55am-11:15am
Beckmen Arts and Science family Festival
Julianne and George Argyros Plaza,
Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts, Costa Mesa
Free – No Tickets Required
The entire event is 10:30am-2:30pm
Check details and the other great line-up of performers here: http://www.scfta.org/events/2018/beckman-arts-and-science
If you missed it at Kidwallah, here’s your chance! If you saw, it spread the news and bring friends!
The “Summ” of All Things, illuminates cycles in nature through imaginative South Asian dance, music, and stories. Audiences will delight in a Bhangra dance, which celebrates the harvest and contemporary Indian dance will unveil the trans-formative life of a butterfly.
Written and directed by Shyamala Moorty
Choreographed and performed by Shyamala Moorty and Ulka Simone Mohanty
Composed by Neelamjit Dhillon
Backdrop art by Khushboo Gulati
Set and Costume design: Ulka Simone Mohanty and Shyamala Moorty
Science consultation by Meredith Casalino
Special thanks to Dawn Dyson, Rosina Didyk, and Kashyap Trivedi
Created with support from Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ STEAM Integration Lab.
KidWallah Audience members hanging out and dancing after the show, photos by Adnan Hussain
*Don’t forget, you can book The “Summ” of All Things into your kids’ schools, theaters, and libraries through the Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts: www.SCFTA.org/artsteach
call 714-942-6201, or email artsteach@SCFTA.org
And our signature show Indian Mythology and Me is available both through the Segerstrom Center (info above) and the LA Music Center:
http://www.musiccenter.org/education/School-Programs
Phone: 213-972-4310
Email: schoolprograms@musiccenter.org
Sneak peek of our new show: The “Summ” of All Things
The Dancing Storytellers newest show, The “Summ” of All Things, illuminates cycles in nature through imaginative South Asian dance, music, and stories. Audiences will delight in Bhangra dance, which celebrates the harvest; an interactive hand dance will unveil the trans-formative life of a butterfly; and a beautiful Sufi story will uplift the audience as they follow a river on its cyclical journey. The “Summ” of All Things was written and directed by Shyamala Moorty, choreographed and performed by Shyamala Moorty and Ulka Simone Mohanty, composed by Neelamjit Dhillon, science consultation by Meredith Casalino, and created with support from Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ STEAM Integration Lab.
See these wacky new characters come to life: Shyamala Moorty as the “Monarch Queen” and Ulka Simone Mohanty as the “Farmer”
This Fall, The “Summ” of All Things will be touring Elementary Schools in Southern CA through the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Meanwhile, check out a sneak preview that you can bring your whole family to at Kidwallah, a part of the South Asian arts festival, Artwallah: June 2, 11am-12:15pm, Highways Performance Space, Santa Monica, CA.
Click here for more information: Kidwallah
Donate here to ensure a spot: Artwallah/Kidwallah Donations
Photos from last year’s Kidwallah, courtesy of Adnan Hussain
Indian Mythology and Me
Now known as “Indian Mythology and Me” our show is represented on the Music Center on Tour Artist Roster and has undergone some upgrades, including this beautiful new backdrop by artist Khushboo Gulati (pictured below with the artist).
Also pictured is our newest member of Dancing Storytellers, Ulka Simone Mohanty!
Ulka joined us in early 2017 when Sheetal was busy with wedding plans to perform the show while we continued to tour various schools across Southern CA.
She was a hit with the fans (as seen below signing autographs for kids)
Ulka and Shyamala performed for over 2,000 kids in the 2016-17 school year.
Stay tuned for more news on the Dancing Storytellers spreading peace in all things, everywhere!
Ulka and Shyamala after performing at Dolores St. Elementary