KDT to Receive Art Works Grant
Crystal, MN—National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Mary Anne Carter has approved more than $84 million in grants as part of the Arts Endowment’s second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2020. Included in this announcement is an Art Works award of $15,000 to Katha Dance Theatre (KDT) for a 2021-22 tour of their critically acclaimed dance work Kathak Yatra: The Journey of Kathak Dance. This is one of 1015 grants nationwide that the agency has approved in this category. “These awards demonstrate the resilience of the arts in America, showcasing not only the creativity of their arts projects but the organizations’ agility in the face of a national health crisis,” said Mary Anne Carter, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “We celebrate organizations like Katha Dance Theatrefor providing opportunities for learning and engagement through the arts in these times.” “We are grateful to the National Endowment for the Arts for its support of bringing our work, Kathak Yatra, to rural communities of Minnesota,” says KDT Artistic Director Rita Mustaphi. “This grant award is deeply meaningful to us since with this funding we will be able to not only offer performances but also enrich each community with the arts and culture of India. Much gratitude to the NEA!” Kathak Yatra follows Kathak’s artistic and cultural evolution through time, beginning with its inception in Hindu temples, through its evolution as a form of entertainment for kings and emperors, and culminating in its contemporary multicultural incarnations. It explores Kathak’s duality as both classic and modern. Through this tour, KDT hopes to further its mission to make Kathak accessible and relevant throughout Minnesota. For more information on this National Endowment for the Arts grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.