February 02, 2009, New York – Tamarind Art Council proudly presents performance by ritual Odissi dancer, Bani Ray on February 5th, 2009, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. The event is free and open to the public.
To attend RSVP to rsvp@tamarindarts.org or call 212-200-8000 press “0” for the operator.

Odissi is an ancient traditional dance originating in the 1st century BC in Eastern India. It is primarily religious in nature and has lately undergone a revival.
Bani Ray has been a student of dance since the age of six, and has been learning Odissi since 1970 from Shri Hari Krishna Behera, Valmiki Banerjee, Guru Shri Durga Charan Ranbir, and the Late Guru Shri Nath Raut. Apart from Odissi, Bani has also studied Mohini Attam, Manipuri and various other folk dance forms.
Bani has performed extensively throughout India and the United States, receiving numerous scholarships, fellowships, and awards for her expertise in the field of dance. As a joint director of Nehru Institute of Odissi Research and training in Delhi, India, she has organized international seminars, symposiums and training programs for aspiring young dancers. Currently she is teaching, performing and doing in-depth research and training on the style and compositions of the Late Guru Deba Prasad Das. Based in Princeton, New Jersey, Bani teaches at Lotus Music and Dance Studios in midtown Manhattan.

About Tamarind Art Council

Tamarind Art Council (TAC) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting contemporary art in North America. Our focus is to support all types of artistic expression, including performing and fine arts, by sponsoring art-related activities and cross-cultural events in order to expand the audience for art and culture.
Our mission: Tamarind Art Council exemplifies how life can revolve around the arts. Our mission is to inspire the work of contemporary artists and performers and to facilitate public appreciation for these unique cultural art forms. Some of our events include art exhibitions, performing arts, book launches, lectures and other cultural programs. As part of our on-going efforts, we support art museums, cultural communities and not-for-profit organizations around the globe. Tamarind Art has become a nexus for many art organizations and is a resource center for gaining an understanding of all forms of art, artists, and other areas of interest to individuals, businesses and art investors.
Tamarind Art Council is proud to announce our sponsorship of The Museum of Modern Art’s (MoMA) film screening “INDIA NOW,” a bi-annual program launched in 2007 that will be presented at the museum again in June 2009.
Other sponsorships have included Festival of India with WMI featuring Shivkumar Sharma and Zakir Husain, Masters of Indian Music – Rahul Sharma & Zakir Husain with WMI in November 2007, Prema Murthy’s Fuzzy Logic Exhibition at P.S. 1 MoMA from June – September 2007, and the Contemporary Photography and Video Art exhibition “India Public Places/Private Spaces” held at the Newark Museum of Art from September 2007 – January 2008.
Our most successful and well-received exhibition, entitled “Gandhi: The Legacy,” was held in 2008 in collaboration with Phillip Glass Opera and Satya Graha Forum. The photography exhibition captured a nostalgic view of Gandhi’s true legacy. It was displayed from April 10th – May 3rd.

For more information about Tamarind Art Council, please visit our website at www.tamarindarts.org.

Tamarind Art Council is located at 142 E. 39th Street, New York, NY, 10016. Contact us by calling (212)200-8000 or emailing admin@tamarindarts.org.