NCPA Presents a Unique Dance Residency and Performance Series Curated by Aditi Mangaldas

Acclaimed Kathak dancer and choreographer Aditi Mangaldas brings a series of distinctive dance experiences to the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) this June. The programme includes An Experience with DRISHTIKON, a three-day immersive dance residency, and Zeroing IN – Viewing Performances, Up Close and Intimate, presented under the NCPA Umang banner. Together, these initiatives reflect Mangaldas’ commitment to nurturing artistic inquiry, creative exchange and new voices in dance.

Designed as an intensive platform for artistic exploration, An Experience with DRISHTIKON offers participants an opportunity to engage with choreography, performance practice and the collaborative processes that shape contemporary dance-making. Across workshops and interactive sessions, the residency provides insight into the evolving relationship between Kathak and contemporary movement.

Alongside the residency is Zeroing IN, a performance series curated by Mangaldas as part of her Living Legacy Project. Presented as part of Umang, NCPA’s platform for emerging artistes, the presentation will feature two works by young dancers associated with the Drishtikon Dance Foundation, creating an intimate setting for performance and artistic exchange.

NCPA Dance Residency by Aditi Mangaldas

An NCPA Presentation
Supported by HSBC India

An Experience with DRISHTIKON is a three-day immersive dance residency designed to nurture artistic exploration and innovation in movement. Led by Aditi Mangaldas, the residency creates a space for participants to engage deeply with the evolving language of Kathak and contemporary dance through practical learning, performance and creative exchange.

Aditi Mangaldas is among India’s foremost Kathak dancers and choreographers, recognised internationally for her powerful artistic voice and innovative approach to dance-making. Trained under the legendary gurus Kumudini Lakhia and Pandit Birju Maharaj, she has developed a distinctive movement language that bridges classical Kathak and contemporary dance. Through the Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company and the Drishtikon Dance Foundation, she has created a body of work that continues to expand the possibilities of Indian dance while engaging with contemporary themes and audiences across the world.

Day 1 | Friday 12th June | Time: 11 am to 2 pm

Participants will learn a bandish woven together through the elements of nritta, nritya and natya, offering insight into the layered vocabulary of classical Kathak. Learn a bandish that is woven together using Nritta, Nritya and Natya.

Day 2 | Saturday 13th June | Time: 11 am to 2 pm

The second day of the residency focuses on choreography and performance practice. Participants will experience, dance and learn a short choreographic work that moves between Kathak and contemporary dance based on Kathak. Through movement exploration and guided instruction, the session offers a closer understanding of how

Day 3 | Sunday 21st June | Time: 10 am to 1 pm

The final day of An Experience with DRISHTIKON takes participants behind the scenes of the creative process. Through interactions with collaborators from the worlds of dance, music, lighting and scenography, participants will gain insight into how a large-scale production is conceived and realised. The session offers a rare opportunity to engage in dialogue with the creative team and understand the collaborative processes that shape contemporary performance-making.

NCPA Umang presents Zeroing IN – Viewing Performances, Up Close and Intimate[1]

Experimental Theatre | June 14, 2026 | 11.00 am
An NCPA Presentation

Zeroing IN – Viewing Performances, Up Close and Intimate is presented under NCPA Umang, the Centre’s platform for emerging artistes. Curated by Aditi Mangaldas as part of her Living Legacy Project, the series brings dancers, musicians and audiences into close proximity, creating a space for artistic exchange and dialogue through performance. Conceived as an intimate performance format, Zeroing IN provides a platform for young artistes to share their work while exploring new approaches to movement and storytelling.

The Mumbai edition features two performances. SOMA (सोम) by Aamrapali Bhandari and Deepannita Sarkar is a Kathak duet that explores attraction, romance and connection through the imagery of a moonlit night. Under the soft glow of a silvery moon, two dancers move in harmony, weaving together grace, passion and emotional resonance through the language of Kathak.

The second presentation, THE IN-BETWEEN, is a contemporary Kathak performance by Harendra Bhushan, Gourav Javda and Gaurav Shridhar. The work examines time not merely as a numerical structure but as a lived and embodied experience. Drawing from Kathak’s technical vocabulary while embracing a contemporary choreographic approach, the production explores continuity, transformation, memory and silence, inviting audiences to reflect on the spaces that exist between beginnings and endings.

Age Recommendation: 6+ | Late entry not permitted
Duration: 2 hours
Tickets: Entry is free on a first-come, first-served basis

About NCPA

The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai, is India’s premier cultural institution. Inaugurated in 1969, it was the first multi-venue, multi-genre cultural centre in South Asia. The NCPA is committed to preserving and promoting India’s rich and vibrant artistic heritage in the fields of music, dance, theatre, film, literature and photography, as well as presenting new and innovative work by Indian and international artistes from a diverse range of genres including drama, contemporary dance, orchestral concerts, opera, jazz and chamber music. Today, the NCPA hosts more than 700 events each year, making it India’s largest and most holistic performing arts centre.