Bala Sarasvati, Artistic Director, CORE Contemporary and Aerial Dance

Artistic director, choreographer and Jane Willson Professor in Arts at the The University of Georgia Department of Dance. Bala is a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) specializing in the application of movement theory to dance training and performance. She holds a B.S. and B.F.A. degrees from the University of Utah, M.A. and M.F.A. from The Ohio State University. She has served on the faculty for the José Limón Dance Institute, the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies, Seattle Dance Centre. She serves on the faculty for the Universidad Nacional Graduate Program in Dance, Heredia, Costa Rica (2007, 2009, 2011, 2017). Her dance training approach has been presented at several Laban conferences including El Contro Laban and Global Laban 2008, Rio de Janeiro, International Council Kinetography Laban, Laban Centre, London, Laban International 2018 (LIMS, NYC, NY) and at numerous universities and intensive summer dance programs. Bala has choreographed over 100 full-length dance pieces. Her choreography has been shown throughout the U.S. and China, and in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, France and Taiwan. She has presented choreography at Judson Church and St. Marks’ Church in New York City; Seattle Bumbershoot Art Festivals, Seattle, WA; Piccolo Spoleto Festivals in Charleston, SC. In addition, presented choreography at National Dance Association and American College Dance Festival Association regional and national gala performances, and performed at two National Society for Literature and Science conferences. Shakti-The Force of Destiny, one of the many interactive computer and dance projects, was presented as a Cultural Olympiad Event during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. Springbreak, was selected for the Quinto Festival International Video Danza ‘99, Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has served on the board for the National American College Dance Festival Association 1995-2001, currently for UGA Ideas for Creative Exploration (ICE) steering committee and the Laban Institute of Movement Studies, NYC and formerly and currently, US-China Cultural and Educational Foundation. Bala served as Head, Department of Dance at The University of Georgia 1998-1999 and 2000-2006, and on the board for the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies and UGA Willson Center for Humanities and Arts. She is a certified Yoga Trapeze teacher by YOGABODY Naturals, and has hosted five certification programs at UGA, and served as a teacher trainer with Lucas Rockwood.

 

Bala's integrated aerial dance training and creative production at UGA Dance was featured in DANCE TEACHER magazine (2017).