The Spilling Ink Project

The Spilling Ink Project weaves memorable tales from Indian folklore and mythology that unfold through rich, traditional South Indian classical dance forms. An intricate language of hand gestures combined with dramatic facial expressions takes audiences on a colorful journey to India. Melodic music including rhythmic percussion, colorful costuming along with narration in English embellishes the program. Katha: Tales from India is an engaging and interactive way for participants of all ages to learn about India and its culture. Vijay Palaparty and Nalini Prakash are renowned artists from the U.S. and India whose performances and outreach programs tour widely. Like their namesake, the Spilling Ink Project dancers express fresh and creative aspects of Indian heritage.

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MEET THE ARTISTS

Nalini Prakash

Nalini is a gifted performer, choreographer, and teacher of Indian classical dance. She specializes in Bharatanatyam, a South Indian classical dance style, which she has been cultivating for over thirty years. She is the Founder and Director of Silambam in Coonoor, an institution dedicated to teaching Bharatanatyam, South Indian classical Carnatic music, and dance theory. Additionally, she holds the position of Founder Secretary of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Nilgiris Kendra, which was inaugurated in May 2004. As a promoter of the performing arts, Nalini is actively involved in coordinating performances in educational institutions for SPICMACAY in the Nilgiris. Nalini holds a master's degree in performing arts from the M.S. University of Baroda where she worked with Professor C.V. Chandrasekhar. Her thesis compares Hindustani and Carnatic music tala systems. In 1986, Nalini was invited to perform for the Kalamandir Natyotsava and was proclaimed best dancer and was awarded a scholarship for one year. Most recently, she completed a diploma in Indian fine arts from the Nalanda Dance Research Centre in Mumbai.

Vijay Palaparty

Born and raised in the United States, Vijay grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. As an undergraduate studying professional writing and anthropology at Carnegie Mellon University, Vijay learned Kuchipudi dance from Dr. K. Uma Rama Rao, retired head of the Department of Dance, Telugu University (Hyderabad, India). He studied Bharatanatyam with Smt. Padma Rajagopal, founder and director of Nupur Anjali School of Dance (Cleveland, Ohio). Vijay is also a student of Professor Sudharani Raghupathy, who is the president and principal of Shree Bharatalaya, a pre-eminent institution for Indian Classical Dance. Vijay has been studying and performing both Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam for the past 10 years, and has been giving recitals throughout the United States, India, Canada, and Australia. His mission is to preserve and promote this traditional style of dance, and also to explore the possibilities of exchanging ideas with other styles of music and dance from other parts of the world.

*See Programs for Artist Fees