On Tripura Kashyap

Tripura Kashyap is a Choreographer and Movement therapist based in Delhi. Currently she is projects coordinator at Bhoomika Creative Dance Centre where she teaches, choreographs and performs with the group. (visit http://bhoomikadance.blogspot.com) She received a degree in classical dance from Kalakshetra, Chennai founded by Rukmini Devi, the visionary revivalist of Bharatanatyam. She performed in many of the institute’s dance-dramas and later joined the renowned Chandralekha Dance Company as a troupe member for several years. There she trained in Yoga and Kalaripayyatu apart from undergoing workshops in modern dance. She traveled with the company in India and abroad performing in several festivals of dance. Tripura trained in Dance/movement Therapy at Hancock Center in Wisconsin, U.S.A. Simultaneously she also studied modern dance, returned to India and completed her Masters degree in Psychology. In Bangalore she founded Apoorva Dance Theatre a contemporary dance group which performed in several prestigious festivals all over India. The group also trained in modern technique and Mayurbhanj Chhau with Bharat Sharma (Choreographer). Tripura and her group members performed a full evening of traditional dances from the Chhau repertoire. She was invited as part of the International Choreographer’s residency at the American Dance Festival in N.Carolina, U.S.A for six weeks. There she trained in Jazz Ballet, Modern dance, choreography and dance theatre. Later, she was part of the Editta Braun Dance company in Austria in a production “INDIA” which toured different countries in Europe. She also trained in modern technique and composition at ‘FACETS’ a choreography laboratory organized by Attakkalari in Bangalore. She has worked collaboratively with dancers, filmmakers, visual artists, theatre directors and musicians on several cross-art projects and performances. As a soloist she has performed her contemporary dance pieces in art galleries, proscenium spaces and open-air theatres. Tripura has choreographed several ‘site-specific’ dances in spaces like a large dry well, a pub, a huge square low lying table, ladders against a wall and in an open air barren land. She traveled to Sri Lanka as part of the ‘Teertha’ International artistes residency’ in which she created dances to merge with paintings, sculptures and art installations. Tripura worked as a dance/movement therapist at many rehabilitation & treatment centers, half-way home, hospitals, special schools and de-addiction centers in Bangalore and other cities. She has conducted several training programs on dance therapy for special educators, teachers, therapists all over India. She has and continues to present academic papers on dance therapy, dance in education, contemporary dance theatre at conferences and seminars. She also worked as creative consultant for the Dance-in-Education program at Attakkalari Center for Movement Arts, Bangalore. Later, she was a project coordinator for ‘Chaali’ a highway performance circuit of contemporary dance conceived by Bharat sharma. As performing artiste in his ‘Bhoorang’ Dance company she traveled on two tours, each lasting forty days consisting of lecture-demonstrations, workshops and performances in villages, small towns and metros through out south India. Tripura has also conducted several training programs on “Body movement in Theatre” specially designed to enhance body language in actors. She has choreographed movement and dance sequences for many theatre productions. She has also choreographed dances with people with disabilities such as mental challenges, hearing and visually impairments. She has mentored several dancers and their projects (nationally and internationally) in dance in education and dance therapy. In one such project, she traveled to England and mentored Indian dancers from Kalai Kavri College of fine arts working in twenty schools in and around London. Along with Mahnoor Yar Khan ( a drama therapist), Tripura founded ‘Rainbow Inc’, a creative arts therapies center which organizes regular workshops and training programs for trainers and team leaders in dance, drama, music and visual arts therapy. They take place throughout the year in Delhi, Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad. Tripura has written a book titled “My body, My wisdom – A handbook of Creative Dance Therapy” published by Penguin. Apart from fellowships and dance production grants received from the Indian cultural ministry, she has received the Ashoka International fellowship for her innovative work in dance/movement therapy. On a three week Ashoka fellow exchange grant, she traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina and collaborated with visual artists and dance therapists to develop cross art teaching modules for working with children and adults. She has written extensively on dance; articles, reviews of dance performances and interviews with well known contemporary dancers. She travels widely performing, conducting workshops and lecture demonstrations on contemporary dance, Dance-in-education and dance therapy. For more details google search Tripura Kashyap