ABOUT
The ACDA Dance & Community Initiative was developed to honor the legacy and work of Amarnath Ghosh in an effort to increase the educational and artistic opportunities within ACDA to dancers from the Indian dance community.
Amarnath Ghosh was an accomplished performing artist, choreographer, and educator from West Bengal, India, who was pursuing an MFA in Dance in the Performing Arts Department at Washington University in St. Louis. A graduate of the prestigious Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai, he trained at the Kuchipudi Art Academy. He is an expert in multiple dance styles–Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, and Kathak—and had begun finding joy in ballet, modern, jazz, and dance history while at WU. His talent and artistry were recognized around the world, earning him commendations from the International Dance and Music Festival in New Delhi, the International Cultural Ministry in India, and the American College Dance Association here in the United States. In 2023, Amarnath’s performance at the ACDA regional conference earned him an invitation to perform at the ACDA National College Dance Festival where he received a standing ovation. Amarnath was preparing to leave for the 2024 ACDA regional conference when he passed. His unfortunate death cuts short an expansive journey of beauty, love, joy, and peace in the dance world. Nearing the completion of his two-year MFA degree, Amarnath had recently interviewed for academic positions here in the United States, where he hoped to spread his love for dance among his students to further his goal of making the world a better place.
GOALS OF THE INITIATIVE
- Further develop ACDA’s network with South Asian dancers in the United States
- Increase the diversity of ACDA’s membership profile
- Enhance awareness and increase representation of Indian aesthetics in ACDA programming
- Diversify ACDA’s teaching and performance profile in conferences
- Educate ACDA about the needs of the Indian dance community
WHY ATTEND AN ACDA CONFERENCE?
- Performance opportunities
- Teaching opportunities
- Access to a diverse range of dance classes (Click Here for an overview of the past classes offered at ACDA conferences)
- Network with hundreds of artists in Higher Education (undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, musicians, administrators, etc.)
- Access to research in dance and dance education
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
- Become an Individual Member of ACDA and receive discounted rates on ACDA events and programs.
- Register for an ACDA conference as an Individual non-member
- Talk to a representative from the ACDA National Office: info@acda.dance