Durga Temple Cultural Performance

Thanks to all who turned out to support our youngest dancers as they enchanted the audience with their Bollywood and Kathak items for Dussehra/Dashain at Durga Temple on Saturday. It was exciting to see our performers present original choreography by Tasherit with so much grace and charm. You rocked the stage and the house!!  

Happy Dashain 2017

A very Happy Dashain to all from everyone here at Utpalasia! Join us at Durga Temple in Fairfax Station on September 30 as we participate in the annual Dussehra Cultural Program. Students from some of our classes will be presenting two Bollywood items and a traditional Kathak religious piece from 5:00-6:00pm. More info: https://goo.gl/jpHoKD We… Continue reading Happy Dashain 2017

Dance Classes Begin

We’re thrilled to announce that we are adding a teen/adult Bollywood class to our current line-up this Fall. Our regular classes in Kathak I, II, and III, and Bollywood for children will continue to be offered on Sunday mornings. We are looking forward to a terrific new session, starting on September 17 at 10am. We… Continue reading Dance Classes Begin

Utpalasia’s 10th Anniversary: Celebrating Asian Culture & the Arts

We turned 10 this month! It has been quite a journey, beginning with Nepal Dance School in 2007 and culminating in today’s Utpalasia. During that time we transformed ourselves and our programs, focusing more on public engagement and education while continuing to attract students interested in learning dance and music through classes and workshops. Our… Continue reading Utpalasia’s 10th Anniversary: Celebrating Asian Culture & the Arts

Happy Teej!

The women of Nepal are thronging Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu and their natal village homes to celebrate a unique festival which takes places each year in the month of Bhadau. Resplendent in their red saris, sindoor powder, glass bangles, and tilhari necklaces women sing and dance and perform cultural programs. The festival begins lasts for… Continue reading Happy Teej!

Buddha Jayanti

Kathmandu celebrated Buddha Jayanti at a freshly cleaned and painted Swayambhunath. Honoring the 2561st anniversary of the birthday of Lord Buddha, the day included special events for worship and prayer, social programs, and other festivities, including a beautiful night illumination. See more at https://goo.gl/pCNyh4  

“Buddha and Pedestal” from Myanmar (Burma)

While at the Crocker Museum, we strolled through the Asian galleries and found this small, but finely executed 19th century Buddha Shakyamuni (or Siddhartha Gautama, Lord Buddha). Such images are common in Bagan, Myanmar, but this one is unique in that the artist used marble for the head, hands, and feet, wood for the body,… Continue reading “Buddha and Pedestal” from Myanmar (Burma)