Living Room Lecture: Sattriya Dance: An Agent of Social Change from Assam, India

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Date/Time
Date(s) - 03/25/2021
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

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Thirsty for knowledge? Enjoy happy hour in your own home with one of our Museum’s awesome specialists. Living Room Lectures deliver social interaction with educational elements, and everyone is welcome. Cheers!

https://www.penn.museum/events/adult-programs/living-room-lectures

Thursday, 3/25: 5:30pm-6:30pm
Join classical Indian dance practitioner Madhusmita Bora to trace her incredible journey as a movement artist and passionate steward of Sattriya, a monastic dance form from northeast India traditionally performed by male monks. Hear more about Madhusmita’s roots and experiences in Assam, her home state, and her debut as a performer at her village temple at the tender age of four. Experience key elements of the dance and explore the deep history of Sattriya, from its origins in religious practices to its official recognition as a classical dance performed by both women and men.

Learn about Madhusmita’s journey touring the U.S. with her company, Sattriya Dance, as well as her numerous projects supported by Leeway, Pew, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and others. Find out what moves Madhusmita today and what the future holds for Sattriya—both the dance form and her talented company.

Madhusmita Bora is an Assamese-American dancer, teacher, writer, filmmaker, and cultural producer. She founded Sattriya Dance Company in 2009 to raise awareness for Sattriya, a 500-year-old ritualistic movement tradition from the Hindu monasteries of Assam. As the only Sattriya dancer and teacher in Philadelphia, she is deeply committed to, and profoundly honored and nourished by, sharing this sacred dance with her adopted city. Her body has become an archive for this oral tradition, which until recently wasn’t accessible to women and was rarely seen outside of Northeast India. As an immigrant living in diaspora, Madhusmita’s practice grounds her by actively connecting her to her roots and self. The Penn Museum is grateful to count Madhusmita as one of our International Classroom speakers, sharing profound elements of her culture with K-12 and adult audiences through interactive programs.