Erasing Borders Dance Festival Returns to New York With Two Nights of Indian Classical Dance

The Indo-American Arts Council brings Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Mohiniyattam and contemporary dance to Hunter College this September.

The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) will present the 18th Annual Erasing Borders Dance Festival on September 19 and 20, 2026, at 6 p.m. at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College in New York City. Tickets start at $20.

One of New York’s major showcases for Indian dance, Erasing Borders 2026 brings together celebrated artists working across classical and contemporary traditions, including Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Mohiniyattam and Kalaripayattu.

Saturday, September 19

The opening-night program includes Ganesh Vasudev and Nitya Narasimhan performing a Bharatanatyam duo; Sreelakshmy Kallungal Govardhanan in Kuchipudi; Shila Mehta, Salonee Satagar and Sanchita Dighe performing Kathak; contemporary artist Preeti Vasudevan; and Radhe Jaggi and Team, combining Bharatanatyam and Kalaripayattu.

Sunday, September 20

The second evening features Radha Varadan in Kathak; Neena Prasad and Musicians presenting Mohiniyattam; Aparna Sindhoor & Anil Natyaveda with Sindhoor Natya–Navarasa; and Arushi and Sawani Mudgal in an Odissi presentation.

The festival will be followed on September 24 at 6 p.m. by the Fifth Annual Dr. Sunil Kothari Lecture, held at the Bruno Walter Auditorium of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Bharatanatyam artist Rama Vaidyanathan will present The Balanced Dance as a Journey Towards Inner Stillness and Equanimity.

Presented by the IAAC, Erasing Borders continues the organization’s mission to expand audiences for classical, folk, fusion, and innovative art forms influenced by the arts of India.