Apoorva Ensemble, Srijan Dance Company, and Abha Roy
— The traditional Hindu festival continues the institution’s tradition of welcoming multicultural artists and audiences to the Hall in the city’s most diverse borough —
On Saturday, March 18, Flushing Town Hall will host Celebrate Holi!—a celebration of the new beginnings that come with the changing of the seasons.
Holi, known as the Festival of Colors, is one of the most popular festivals in Hinduism. The festival is celebrated as a way to welcome spring and is seen as a new beginning where people can release all their inhibitions and start fresh. Traditionally, festival participants throw powder dye into the air, covering all in attendance with vibrant colors. For some, the rich colors represent starting a vibrant new life. For others, washing off the dye at the end of the day represents cleansing oneself of evils and demons and a new commitment to living a good life. This year, those attending the Flushing Town Hall festival will throw colorful scarves and confetti to celebrate.
The Srijan Dance Company and its artistic director Abha Roy will join the Apoorva Mudgal Ensemble for a concert to celebrate the new season. The festival will feature performances of devotional and Hindustani classical raga music, traditional Kathak dance, a dance drama of Holi, folk dances, and more. The theme of this show is celebrating love and forgiveness.
About the artists:
Abha Roy, the artistic director of Srijan Dance Center and Flushing Town Hall’s annual Diwali Festival. A master of Kathak dance, she studied under the guidance of late great Guru Kundan Lal Gangani and attained professional precision under the training of Pt. Durgalal when she completed her specialization in Kathak Kendra, New Delhi. She represented the Indian Council of Cultural Relations and has taught and performed in South America, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago. She has also performed throughout Europe and venues such as Lincoln Center, Flushing Town Hall, Queens Museum, NYC Cultural Festival, and many more.
The Srijan Dance Company, founded by Kathak master dancer Abha B. Roy in 2001, has performed at Flushing Town Hall and festival stages throughout New York and the U.S. We are excited to welcome them back for this special event. Featured musicians from this group are Tabla-Naren Budhakar and Gulam Mirasi.
The Apoorva Mudgal Ensemble features the serene vocals of Agra-born (North India) and New York-based Hindustani singer and composer Apoorva Mudgal, arranged to Ria Modak’s classical guitar, and Yacouba Sissoko’s Kora (African Harp) to make for transcendental performances of the Urdu Ghazal, Hindavi folk and Punjabi Sufi Kalaam.
This year’s festival is sponsored by the Guru Krupa Foundation, which recently announced a $50,000 donation to support this Holi festival and the ninth annual Diwali Festival in the fall.
“The Holi and Diwali programs at FTH are a great occasion for Flushing Town Hall visitors to come together and learn about and celebrate popular Indian festivals and culture. They promote cross-cultural integration and harmony and also provide a platform to showcase creativity, as many of the art, dance and music performances are fusions of Indian and other forms,” said Mukund Padmanabhan, founder of the Guru Krupa Foundation. “The Guru Krupa Foundation has been a supporter of the Diwali program at Flushing Town Hall since 2019, and this year, we’re very happy to extend this support to the Holi program as well.”
“The Guru Krupa Foundation has been a wonderful partner to Flushing Town Hall, and this generous donation is another example of their selflessness and commitment to celebrating Indian culture and promoting cultural understanding,” says Flushing Town Hall Executive & Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek. “We look forward to celebrating spring’s beginning with this great festival.”
In-person tickets are $15 and $10 for members of Flushing Town Hall, seniors, children, and students with ID. Tickets must be purchased in advance; they will not be available at the door. Visit https://www.flushingtownhall.org/celebrate-holi for more details and to purchase tickets.
For the venue’s full schedule of 2023 Winter events, visit: https://www.flushingtownhall.org/events
This program is generously sponsored by the Guru Krupa Foundation.
FOR CALENDAR LISTINGS:
SAT., MAR. 18, 2023, 2:15 PM
In-Person Tickets: $15/$10 Members, Seniors, Children, Students w/ ID
Join Abha B. Roy, the Srijan Dance Company, and the Apoorva Mudgal Ensemble for a concert to celebrate new beginnings. Featuring performances of devotional and Hindustani classical raga music, traditional Kathak dance, a dance drama of Holi, folk dances and more, this show celebrates love and forgiveness.
COVID Policy:
Although as of March 7, 2022, New York City has relaxed its COVID policies for indoor arts and entertainment events, Flushing Town Hall will maintain its prior policy for the safety of its audiences, artists, and staff. This policy will remain in effect until further notice: Flushing Town Hall requires all visitors, performers, and staff to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 with matching identification. Additionally, masks will be required at all times. For more details on Flushing Town Hall’s Covid-safety measures and vaccine requirements, please visit: https://www.flushingtownhall.org/covid-safety.
Support Global Arts with a Gift Today!
All gifts of $50 or more give you exclusive Flushing Town Hall Circle of Friends membership benefits including a Smithsonian membership, ticket discounts, and more! Donations in any amount are appreciated to support the artists and the nonprofit cultural organization as they continue to provide programming and entertainment across New York and the world.
https://www.flushingtownhall.org/circle-of-friends
Flushing Town Hall is a not for profit organization and receives major support in 2022 from the National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature; New York State Assembly Member Ron Kim; The City of New York, Mayor Eric Adams; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Commissioner Laurie Cumbo; Queens Borough President Donovan Richards; The New York City Council, Speaker Adrienne E. Adams and New York City Council Members Sandra Ung, Tiffany Caban, Shekar Krishnan, Linda Lee, Vickie Paladino, Lynn Schulman, and Jessica Won; Howard Gilman Foundation, Booth Ferris Foundation, Guru Krupa Foundation, Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation.
To view current donor lists, please visit www.flushingtownhall.org/donor-listings
About Flushing Town Hall
Flushing Town Hall (FTH), a Smithsonian affiliate, presents multi-disciplinary global arts that engage and educate the global communities of Queens and New York City in order to foster mutual appreciation. As advocates of arts equity since 1979, we support local, immigrant, national, and international artists, developing partnerships and collaborations that enhance our efforts. As a member of New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), we serve to restore, manage and program the historic 1862 landmark on behalf of the City of New York. FTH celebrates the history of Queens as the home of Jazz, by presenting the finest in Jazz performance. We are committed to arts education and hands-on learning, for the arts-curious, arts enthusiasts, and professional artists. We serve one of the most diverse communities in the world and strive to uphold the legacy of inclusiveness that has defined our community since the Flushing Remonstrance of 1657.
Flushing Town Hall is a proud member of the Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), a collective of 34 nonprofit museums, performing arts centers, historical societies, zoos, and botanical gardens across all five boroughs with a distinct private-public partnership with the City of New York and a commitment to serving all New Yorkers.
Land Acknowledgement:
Flushing Town Hall acknowledges that we are on the traditional land of the Matinecock People, one of the original tribes of New York, and the first people of Flushing, Queens. The Matinecock continue to live and work on this land to this day. Flushing Town Hall honors their elders who have stewarded this land throughout generations.
