FaluCelebrate Indian art and culture with the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Birmingham community in March and April.
IndiaFest is presented by UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center in collaboration with the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Art and Art History and the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts. Free events include film screenings, a dance competition, community yoga, crafts, a lecture and an evening of social dance at ArtPlay. Explore the full IndiaFest calendar online at www.AlysStephens.org.
Thursday, March 21
The Department of Art and Art History will present free screenings of “Kanchana Seetha” (G. Aravindan, 1977, 95 minutes) and documentary “Laying Janaki to Rest” (Madhureeta Anand, 2006, 26 minutes), 6-8 p.m. in the AEIVA.
Sunday, March 24, and Monday, March 25
Special Holi dinner, Taj India restaurant.
Thursday, March 28
The Department of Art and Art History will present a free screening of “Lav Kush,” (V. Madhusudan Rao, 1997, 2 hours, 45 minutes), 6-9 p.m. in the AEIVA.
Saturday, March 30
Enjoy Taste of India, Alabama’s first and only bhangra and Bollywood fusion dance competition, 5:30-8:30 p.m. in the Alys Stephens Center. UAB’s Asian American Organization will host collegiate dance teams from across the country to compete for a cash prize. Taj India will serve Indian food at the beginning of the show. Admission is free.
Monday, April 1
Join the Alys Stephens Center at 5:30 p.m. at ArtPlay for a mandala coloring night. Indian mandala coloring pages will be provided to help participants destress. Tours of the ArtPlay House will also be available. Free. Call ArtPlay at 205-975-4769 for details.
Monday, April 1
All are invited for a Vinyasa Flow yoga class with Mollie Erickson, 5:30-7 p.m. on the grass of the Rear Quad behind the Alys Stephens Center. The class will move into the Odess Theatre in case of rain. Students will move through traditional asanas, honoring India’s rich heritage, as well as some new combinations of poses. Come ready to move and learn, release and relax.
Thursday, April 4
The Department of Art and Art History will present a free screening of “Lajja,” (Rajkumar Santoshi, 2001, 3 hours, 22 minutes), 6-10 p.m. in the AEIVA.
Sunday, April 7
Join the Indian Cultural Association for the Holi Festival of Colors, from noon-3 p.m. in the UAB Mini Park, across from the Hill Student Center. Holi is a spring festival known as the Festival of Colors. During this event, powdered color is thrown in celebration. There will also be music, games and food. This event is free for everyone.
Monday, April 8
All are invited for a free Kundalini yoga and meditation class with Kewal Nam, 5:30-7 p.m. on the grass of the Rear Quad behind the Alys Stephens Center. The class will move into the Odess Theatre in case of rain. In this energetic, yet gentle yoga class, students will practice a set to create metabolic balance, heartiness and physical strength, with the goal of bringing the physical body into a position to build disease resistance. This class is appropriate for all levels, bodies and ages.
Thursday, April 11
Lecture at 6 p.m.: “The Ramayana in the Arts of India” by Professor of Art History Cathleen Cummings, in UAB’s AEIVA.
Monday, April 15
All are invited for a free Ashtanga yoga class with Heather Sullivan, 5:30-7 p.m. on the grass of the Rear Quad behind the Alys Stephens Center. The class will move into the Odess Theatre in case of rain. Come experience the traditional practice of Ashtanga yoga in a supportive and welcoming environment. Modifications will be given for all postures.
Wednesday, April 17
Inside the Arts: Social Exchange featuring Falu: Join Falu, an internationally recognized Indian vocalist who combines traditional classical roots with inventive rock, at the ArtPlay house for conversation with the artist about her work and how it ties into global themes and social justice. This free event is from 7-8:30 p.m. in the ArtPlay House.
Thursday, April 18
Free concert featuring Falu, 7 p.m., outdoors on the Alys Stephens Center’s Engel Plaza. Falu is a Grammy Award-nominated, internationally recognized artist known for her rare ability to seamlessly blend a signature modern, inventive style with a formidable Indian classically shaped vocal talent. Falu has performed for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House and was also the featured performer at the Time-100 gala in 2009. Her songs have appeared in numerous compilations and soundtracks. She was described by The New York Times as “East and West, ancient and modern” and by Billboard as “Ethereal and Transcendent.” Her first album, “Falu,” was featured in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History’s “Beyond Bollywood” exhibit as representative of the voice of Indian-American trendsetting artists.