Episode 10: Asha Bala

Arts Across NC

Asha Bala is a passionate advocate, instructor, and performer of Bharata Natyam, an ancient South Indian classical dance, that communicates ancient Hindu spiritual stories through intricate hand gestures, facial expressions, and footwork. She first encountered the dance as a young child in Mumbai in the 1950s during an era of national cultural revitalization in a newly independent India. She's performed Bharata Natyam throughout the world, and today she's on a mission to make it a celebrated American dance form. She's used two graduate degrees in dance to teach over 500 North Carolinians about the dance since moving here in the early 2000s. Meet Asha Bala. ____ In this special season of Arts Across NC, we feature the 2018 North Carolina Heritage Award recipients who will be celebrated at a performance and ceremony on May 23, 2018 in Raleigh, NC. These artists are being honored for deepening awareness of the stories, music, and artistry that encompass and define North Carolina's diverse cultural traditions. Tickets to the North Carolina Heritage Awards are available at www.pinecone.org. _________ Arts Across NC is a podcast by and about the North Carolina Arts Council. Facebook: @ncarts Twitter: @ncartscouncil Instagram: @ncartscouncil