Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose

‘Stories of Justice’ explores stories of resistance, social justice, and resilience. Abhinaya will tell these stories by employing the stylistic vocabulary of Bharatanatyam, a dance form that originated in the Hindu temples of India. Stories of Justice will examine the non-violent resistance strategies of Martin Luther King, Jr. to demonstrate that the fight for social justice is ongoing and that past struggles provide lessons that enable us to confront our current problems. The dancers will dramatically portray this and other key protests in his life, where he emphasized the principle of non-violence deriving inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’s struggles in India.

Mythili Kumar (Artistic Director & Dancer)

An accomplished artist, Mythili Kumar performed extensively in India before moving to the U.S. in 1978. Her artistic ability and the high quality of her dance choreography have been recognized in the U.S where she has been awarded several Choreographer's Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. She was honored by World Arts West with a Lifetime Achievement Award, received a “Sustained Achievement Award” by the Bay Area Isadora Duncan Award committee and was awarded the Legacy Laureate Award from SVCreates.