Jon has over twenty years experience creating theater in the San Francisco Bay Area and NYC. Since 2006, he has pursued classical Chinese drama (opera) and how to make this art form accessible to Western audiences and performers. Directing credits include the West Coast premiere of Sarah Ruhl’s Passion Play,…
Evie Ladin is a percussive-dancer, choreographer, singer, songwriter, banjo player and square-dance caller with a lifetime of experience in traditional American cultural arts and intercultural music/dance performance and education. Based in Oakland, CA, Evie grew up in a traditional folk scene on the East Coast of the US, and early…
My Mother always told me stories. I began telling stories formally when I was in high school in Chicago (St. Ignatius) in the 60’s, stories of Africa and the struggles of African-Americans for freedom. In 1992 I met Joel ben Izzy from Berkeley, CA who was introduced to me as…
Mel was born and raised in Vallejo, CA. He has been a martial artist since 1972. He teaches Balintawak Arnis, Filipino Martial Art, in the context of Philippine and Filipino culture and history. He’s is also the author of “Filipinos in Vallejo.” Mel is a member of the Mark of…
Antara Bhardwaj is one of the most dynamic kathak artists of this generation. She began her study of kathak (an Indian classical story-telling dance form) at the age of nine with legendary maestro Pandit Chitresh Das, and now runs her own dance ensemble and school, Antara Asthaayi Dance. Antara’s panache…
Gayatri Subramanian is the Founder/Artistic Director of KA Academy of Indian Music & Dance. She is a professional Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer and instructor is one of the senior most disciples of Guru Smt. Padmini Radhakrishnan, the Founder-Director of the institute “Soundarya Natya Kalalaya Foundation”, Mumbai. She has undergone intensive training for over…
Nobuko Fukatsu is a Biwa (Japanese lute) player based in Los Angeles, California.  Born in Japan, she started to study Satsuma-biwa under the prominent biwa musician Yoshiko Sakata in 2005.  After moving to the Los Angeles area, she started to perform at various cultural gatherings, festivals and educational settings, as well as…
Ganesh Vasudeva is a Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer. Ganesh has created many works and presented his works in India, FRance, London and the United States. Ganesh believes dance is an all encompassing form that connects him to everyone & everything that has come in the past  and yet to…
Ora Clay is a contemporary fiber artist who has exhibited her work in galleries, museums, and public buildings locally and nationally. Her artwork has also been featured on the front page of The New York Times Arts Section. Her quilts tell stories by incorporating photos, sayings, and events…
Indian-American percussionist and composer Dr. Rohan Krishnamurthy is one of the leading voices of Indian classical and cross-genre music in the South Asian diaspora. Acclaimed a “musical ambassador” and “pride of India” by The Times of India, Rohan received advanced mridangam training from maestro Sri. Guruvayur…