ABOUT
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MANDALA ARTS AND CULTURE was founded by Jai Govinda in 1999. As artistic managing director, Jai Govinda has created a space for excellence in the Indian classical dance forms in Canada. The chore of Mandala’s activities is its bharata natyam teaching program, recognized for 18 years by the Canada Arts Training Funds of Heritage Canada for disseminating quality professional training in bharata natyam in British Columbia. Over the years, 46 students have graduated from our teaching program, and many are continuing a career in the performing arts, teaching, creating and performing. Aside from its teaching program, Mandala arts and culture has presented local, national and international Indian classical dance artists that have included: Priyadarshini Govind and orchestra, Janaki Rangarajan, Meenakshi Srinivasan, Sujata Mohapatra, Lavanya Ananth, Savitha Shastri, Rahul Acharya, Renjith and Vijna, Akaash Odedra, Bhavajan Kumar, Navia Natarajan, Thomas Vo Van Tao and Sampradaya Dance Creations. For 8 years Mandala presented an annual abhinaya intensive by world renowned bharata natyam artist Smt. Bragha Bessell from Chennai. Mandala has helped and supported the growth of many young artists, and has also collaborated with many local and national artists on productions such as: Narcissus (commissioned by and premiered at the Kalanidhi Fine Arts/ Toronto) , Aum Namah Shivaya ( commissioned by the Judith Marcuse’s “Kiss Project”, and selected to open “Dancers For Life” at the Vancouver Playhouse), The Blue God ( premiered in Vancouver and performed for “The year of India” in Ottawa), Kama ( commissioned for the official opening of The Scotiabank Dance Centre), The Monk And The Courtesan (commissioned by EDAM), The Temptations of Buddha ( with an original score by Vidyasagar Vankayala), and the Tales Of The Ramayana (a collaboration with Vancouver Moving Theatre nominated for 6 Jessie Awards with 12 sold out performances). In partnership with The Dance Centre, Mandala presented the first Indian classical dance festival, “Gait to the spirit”, for 5 consecutive years. Over the years of the pandemic, Mandala commissioned two new works by international bharata natyam artists: “Sannidhanam” by Rama Vaidyanathan and ensemble, and “Virodhabhasa” by Navia Natarajan. Mandala also presented a series of 4 bharata natyam performances on VIMEO by local dancers Kiruthika Rathanaswami, Malavika Santhosh, Shilpa Shankar and Grihalakshmi Soundarapandian. Mandala encourages and provides opportunities for local, national and international collaborations, partnership and exchanges. It is committed to introduce the dance style to various audiences through performances, workshops, lectures and demonstrations. Mandala Arts and Culture society is a registered charitable organization.
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ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
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Jai Govinda is the founder and artistic director of Mandala Arts and Culture. He started is dance training with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in Quebec City and, at L’ Ecole Superieure de Danse des GBC in Montreal. He received bharata natyam training from notable gurus: Dr Mamata Niyogi Nakra, Sri US Krishna Rao and Smt.Chandrabhaga Devi, Sri KJ Govindarajan and Smt. Jamuna Krishnan. From the time of his dance debut/ ranga pravesh in 1983, Jai Govinda has performed across Quebec and Canada, and in the USA, France and India, including two Canadian cities tours with performances in Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal. His performances in India were praised by Indian dance critics and connoisseurs alike. At that period in time, there were just a handful of solo male bharata natyam dancers. So that in itself was unique, adding the fact that he was French Canadian performing this classical Indian dance form. Jai Govinda first taught ballet and bharata natyam for Kala Bharati/ Montreal for a few years, and he then created his own dance company, the Sattvika foundation. Spending his time between Montreal and India, he started grooming a few students towards their arangetram. During the same period, he also gave master classes, workshops, residencies and lecture demos at: Ecole Nationale de Cirque/ Cirque du Soleil, Departement de la danse de l’ UQUAM, Department of Contemporary Dance of Concordia University, Studio 303, Ecole de Danse Contemporaine de Montreal, Ecole de Danse du Quebec, McGill University, Ecole Nationale de Theatre and, in Vancouver, at Main Dance, The Dance Centre, SFU Dance Department, Asian studies at UBC and Modus Operandi. With the invitation and support of dance scholar Dr. Mandakranta Bose and one of his first dance student Anusha Fernando, he started to teach classes at the Jai Govinda Dance Academy and at Continuing Education of UBC in Vancouver. Under the management of Mrs. Barbara Clausen, he created his own non profit association, Mandala Arts and culture society in 1999. Through, Mandala Jai Govinda expressed a broad vision for the dissemination of bharata natyam in a Canadian context. His work as a dancer, teacher and choreographer has been acclaimed nationally and internationally. He is the recipient of the Dance Centre’s 2006 “Isadora Award” for excellence in teaching, and for his outstanding achievements in BC’s dance community. He is also the recipient of the Vancouver Mayor’s Arts Award 2014 - Honouree/ Dance, for leadership, innovation and support of the city’s cultural life over the course of his career. Forty six of his students have graduated /arangetram under his training, and many are pursuing a professional career in dance. Although officially retired from most of his teaching duties, he continues to be a guest teacher at Mandala, and supports the thriving and evolution of bharata natyam in BC and Canada.
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. P. Rathanaswami
Vijay Gunja
Shawn Jagdeo
Pamini Roshan
Prasanth OV
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GET INVOLVED
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If you would like to volunteer at any of our events or make a donation, please email mandalarts.ca@gmail.com
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