Dancing the Gods 2025: Night Two - Parul Shah

Our annual Dancing the Gods festival of Indian Dance proudly marks its 14th and final year, once again showcasing some of the top performers in Indian dance, expertly curated by the festival’s founder, Rajika Puri.

Each evening’s performance will be preceded by a special presentation honoring Rajika and her visionary leadership and dedication to the festival throughout the years. Please join us as we express our immense appreciation to Rajika for her vital contributions to the festival’s longstanding success as well as to the broader cultural landscape of New York City.

Internationally acclaimed Kathak dancer and choreographer Parul Shah of the parul shah dance company expands the classical medium beyond cultural boundaries. With a focus on excellence, Shah builds upon the dance form’s mythological storytelling roots to share narratives based on her lived experiences. The nucleus of her work as a choreographer and performer has been to disrupt narratives and cultural trappings that undermine the dignity of South Asian women. Shah draws upon the rich tradition of the North Indian classical dance, Kathak, for resistance, artistry, and personal agency. Her work tells stories of women pushing against their boundaries, women who have been forgotten, and women whose labor is often invisible. To tell these stories, she has created a dance language that expands the technique of Indian dance to uproot male-dominated and Eurocentric narratives while forging resiliency and healing.

Trained in India by groundbreaking choreographer Kumudini Lakhia and now based in NYC, Shah has created unique ensemble and solo works that seamlessly blend her South Asian and American identities, contributing to a richer tapestry of Asian American artistic expression. Shah has presented her work around the world and at home to critical acclaim, including City Center’s Fall for Dance Festival: NYC, the New Victory Theatre NYC, the Kennedy Center: Washington D.C, Asia Society: NYC, Jacobs Pillow, Inside/ Out series: MA, Metropolitan Museum of Art: NYC, World Music Institute: NYC, Lincoln Center/Damrosch Park: NYC, Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, the Japan Forum Foundation: Tokyo, and Suvarna Parva: India, Ahmedabad.

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