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	*Exploring Confinement- Part 3* Music: Live musical accompaniment with Cellist Adam Hurst Last phase at Seattle WinterFEST 2007 December 2007 A culmination of this year long internal exploration. Musical accompaniment by Portland's cellist , Adam Hurst. Inspired by his original composition, I move confined to my body, to my sight, to the space, to my mind. I search... to unveil and unwind these tight ropes
	*Confined-Part 2 as an Installation* Music: O Saathi re , sound track from Om Kaar Phase 2 at Tasveer-Seattle's independent south Asian film fest (4 days) October 2007 I am half way through my exploration. Confined to space, to vision. This clip is part of an installation I included as part of Tasveer's 4th film-fest. Questions to you: You watched me through the T.V. monitor, through the video camera, Live. What was your experience as the viewer? I engage myself evoking unknown emotions through my performance in the corridor, in limited space
	*Confined (work-in-progress)* Music: Alaap by Amit Heri Phase 1 at TK Lofts community room April 2007 Images:-Cocoon, Tight rope+ fabric worn around my leg, Emotions intertwine…,Trapped. A year long process to finally culminate next year 2008 as a 70min production, I begin this with a 6.5min solo at he TK-lofts community room exploring this idea. Movements relying on improvisation, I hope to travel with these initial thoughts to that side…

	*Colors of Love* Music: various bollywood sound tracks Script: Dilip Pai, Akshay Johar, Shama Joshi Creation & Choreography: Archana Kumar Premiered at CRY IDOL, Sammamish High School, Bellevue Feb 2007 A dance drama based interpreting various shades & colors of love showcasing various talented and not –so-talented groups and individuals through a specific color. Three judges impersonating 3 Bollywood characters: Hemu, Sunil Shetty and Disco Ashanti screen through 7 dances to pick one that will perform at Sriperumbudur! The colors represented are Black, White, Skin, Pink, Yellow, Silver, Red

	*RED* Music: Sound track from Bollywood movie Rangeela Performance: Tasneem Rangwala, Parul Manan, Archana Kumar Feb 2007 An excerpt from dance-drama, Color of love, the dance represents that shade of love representing passion, lust and desire.

	*Dressed* Music: CD track of late Ustad Allah Rakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain Improvisation: Rehearsal afternoon Dec 2006 That afternoon, there was a beautiful stream of light falling perfectly on my dance floor. I just got my new dress. Excited…White snow outside. Shadows of clouds fading in and out of the room… an improvisational rehearsal with my dress dancing through and into the light and trying to relate the music to every minuscule detail around me…………..

	*Bolly’Hood- Men in Churidhar (Various excerpts)* Music: Various Bollywood cinemas’ songs Created by: Agastya Kohli and Archana Kumar Dance Directed by: Archana Kumar Directed by: Agastya Kohli Premiered at the Meydenbauer Theater Dec 2006 A 2 hour dance-theater drama describes Robin Hood’s journey to India’s most popular city, Mumbai to search for his true love. He is taken into local trains, beaches, witnesses a traditional wedding and when it is time to leave his soul wants to stay back. Enjoy some clippings of this fun-filled, humorous dance-theater creation!

	*Shoes-Dance Video* Music: Flamenco, Fire and Grace Improvisation dance video Aug 2006 Glittering feet, straps around the ankles, across it, under the arch of the foot- tight! The result: Inspired by an instrumental track from the CD Flamenco-Fire and Grace, this improvised piece is my new fascination to the fresh, hand-made leather, dancing shoes on a summer night.

	*Tumri in Bhairagi-Jhap Taal* Music: Live performance by Arijit Mahalanabis on vocal, Brandon McIntosh on Sarod, Kuntal Roy on Tabla Parampara at Ethnic Cultural Theater 2006 This abhinaya piece sung in Sadra style, but set as a Tumri in movement vocabulary in Jhap Tal (cycle of 10 beats) says, “Naata Banaaon, rishta banaaon, miya jab chaho tere dar aaon” Relations with you break and new ones arise and when ever you wish I will come to you. “Aas Milan ki, tohe kab paaon” I long to be with you every moment, but only time shall decide when I will find you.

	*For Amma* Music: Live performance by Brandon McIntosh on Sarod and Tor on Tabla Presented at Tasveer’s (Independent South Asian film org) fund raiser, Aug 2006 Red palms, long black hair, sari draped around: my expected identity, struggling to find meaning in them. There is an aura of melancholy around this body. Caught between 2 schools of thought, unsure which train to catch. Relying heavily on tools of improvisation to follow every emotion felt, the piece works with a melody in Rag Puriya Dhanashree.

	*Indian Folk and Middle Eastern fusion* Music: Egyptian instrumental Premiered at the Northwest FolkLife Festival May 2006 This 10 min group dance combines Indian folk dance from the northern state, Rajasthan with motifs of Middle Eastern movements using traditional Arabian music in this energetic and colorful creation.

	*Shadows* Choreography: Archana Kumar Performance: Tasneem Rangwala, Parul Manan, Archana Kumar Premiered at the Northwest FolkLife Festival May 2006 A work-in-progress concept, Shadows is about exploring the unknown. I begin this process with a 6.5min Trio set to a track from Bollywood movie-‘Taal’. The 3 dancers move in unison, yet fight to find their answer.

	*Tumri - Face of Love* Music: Dead Man Walking soundtrack Choreography: Archana Kumar Premiered at the Northwest FolkLife Festival May 2006 A unique tumri composed to a western song "Face of Love" by the late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Eddie Vedder(Pearl Jam). The piece talks about the different qualities of love and separation. The movements have motifs of Sufi dance intertwined with the rhythmic style of Kathak.
	*Khamushi -5, 8, 11...* This solo makes a conscious effort to acknowledge the void blanket around us. With the aura of Silence pounding me from time to time, this has been my rhythmic dialogue…..through cycles of 5s 8s & 11s, ‘Khamushi’ speaks to me. I struggle to understand what is being conveyed as I embrace my silent mind. I use a “KHAYAL” set in Raag-Poorvi in this conversation. This piece creates unconventional movement techniques with 200 bells (Ghungroos) adorned on each leg simultaneously creating a rhythmic sound score. The rhythms: 5= Dhi Trika Dhinna Dhin Dhin na DhinDhin Na 11= DiNa Dhina Kath, Dhee Traka Dhina ThuNa KathTha Traka Dhina DhiDhi Na 8= Dha Kida Thaka Dhuma Kita Thaka, Dha Kida Thaka Dhuma Kita Thaka, Thaka DhumaKita Thaka
	*SAMAI- The Solo Excerpt* Inspired by a comment, “You have a good sense of time”; trying to understand this concept further, I imagine that Life halts at only those encounters which have impacted my life & want to hold onto them possibly forever. I’m struck with infinite questions. Composed to the poem, ‘Bandhene Lagi Yun Kisi ke Saath Zindagi’, I question my control over Time. Can I consciously choose to stop Time?

	*Saawan* Music: Tumri by Geetika & live Tabla by Marco Zonka Premiered at On the Boards, 12 Minutes Max March 2004 A piece about the beautiful season of Rain or Monsoon. The dancer enjoys the smell of wet mud, sings & moves with the birds and the wind and hopes that the rain pours down endlessly.

	*Mathura Nagarpati* Music: Tumri by Shuba Mudhgal Premiered at Northwest FolkLife Festival May 2005 The first half of the dance is a Tumri, talking about Lord Krishna’s decision one morning to go back to Gokul, his childhood place in search of his sweetheart. He is ready to leave his kingdom in Mathura, all his people, his wealth only to unite with his lost love. His people ask, What kind of song does the Cuckoo bird sing to make you leave us? Why do you wish to stir up the tears of separation that have long been forgotten? Why do you call the charioteer in the middle of the night? He then dances in her memory, hoping perhaps she will find him again.

	*Bhajatha Mridanga* Music: Composition by Natya Institute of Kathak & Choreography Premiered at Northwest FolkLife Festival May 2005 This piece praises the power of the mighty Lord Shiva or Natraj- the Lord of Dance. His dance represents the symbolic movement of the universe. The piece opens with various dances postures of Lord Shiva. He plays the Mridang with vigor to make his presence felt and this is brought out through a combination of tukdas with fast chakkars. We admire his divine beauty. He with his matted locks, the snake around his neck and bearing the moon above his head symbolizing peace on mankind. HE dances with utmost grace and fluidity.

	*My Beautiful Lady* Music: Instrumental Flamenco Premiered at Ethnic Cultural Center, University of WA May 2005 A short experimental fun piece combining Flamenco music and pure Kathak movement techniques to bring out the rhythmic aspect and similarities between the 2 dance forms. To me, it is about that beautiful lady you met once upon a time who teases you by playfully hiding her identity from others.

	*Shyam Chabi Man Mein Samayi* Music: LIVE performance by Pankaj Kakkar with Mausam Premiered at RHYDHUN, Ethnic Cultural Center Feb 2006 Choreography is set in a Tumri style, Raag Puriya Kalyaan and Teen Taal, brings out the abhinaya of Kathak. She awaits his arrival and bows to HIM for protecting her life; HE destroys all obstacles and hardships; HE is the savior.

	*Taraana* Musical Composition: Local musicians of Seattle Choreography: Archana Kumar Performance: Students of Manasarovar Kathak Premiered at RHYDHUN, Ethnic Cultural Center Feb 2006 A popular Kathak composition composed in Raag-Kaafi and set in Teen Taal. This piece was premiered by 2 students of the Intermediate Adult Class.

	*Thirvat* Music: Original composition by NIKC, Bangalore This is a fast paced Kathak composition on Raag-Madhuvanti in TeenTaal.

	*Roopak* Choreography: Archana Kumar Performance: Students of Manasarovar Kathak To Be Premiered at Northwest FolkLife Festival May 2006 This is an informal work-in-progress piece set in Roopak Taal, a cycle of 7 beats where I have composed various teehayis and tukdas in different speeds and combinations.

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