The Heart and Soul Of Dance - Ivan Pulinkala/ Shamshir Rai Luthra & Friends

Introduction

Ivan Pulinkala is a contemporary choreographer living and working in Atlanta, GA. Originally from New Delhi, India, Pulinkala moved to the United States in 1998 to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance. He began his professional training and choreographic career in India, where he served as the artistic director of his own company from 1994- 1998. Pulinkala served as the choreographer-in-residence for Delhi Music Theatre for five years, and was named among the 25 Indian artists of the Millennium by the India Today Magazine in their December 1999 issue.

Ivan Pulinkala is the director of the Program in Dance at Kennesaw State University. He travels nationally and internationally choreographing and teaching dance. His work has been commissioned for concert dance (modern and contemporary ballet), musical theatre, as well as corporate and commercial film. His choreographing interest lies in altering physical space through the medium of dance, and he often collaborates with visual artists to create unique physical elements that are explored through his work. His movement philosophy blends the intellectual investigation of socio-political subject matter with the physical exploration of space, to create work that is physically dynamic, infused with strong visual and theatrical elements.

Education

Ed.D. (Higher Education Administration) In-Progress

Pulinkala is currently pursuing his doctorate in higher education administration at the University of Alabama. His dissertation research will focus on strategies for developing collegiate dance programs in the 21st century.

M.F.A. (Dance)

Pulinkala received his Master of Fine Arts degree from Mills College in Oakland, California in May 2000. His master's thesis titled "Piper of the Soul" was a choreographic and scholarly exploration of the principles of karma and reincarnation. Performed by the Mills Repertory Dance Company in March 2000, the written thesis of this work is currently housed at the F.W. Olin Library on the Mills College campus.

B.Com. (H)

Pulinkala also received a Bachelor of Commerce with Honors degree from Hindu College, Delhi University in 1994.

Training

Pulinkala has studied under a number of nationally and internationally known teachers and choreographers in both the U.S. and India. The following are some of the individuals who have strongly influenced his dance training and choreographic career:

Mary Cochran (Paul Taylor Dance Company)

Milton Myers (Alvin Ailey School/ NY City Center)

June Watanabe (Mills College)

Jeanne Solan (Netherlands Dans Theatre/ NY City Center)

Reggie Savage (Savage Dance Company)

Fernando Aguilera (Argentine National Ballet at the Colon Theatre)

Susan Mcguire (Paul Taylor School)

Kathleen McKlintock (Mills College)

Molissa Fenley (Molissa Fenley and Dancers)

Peter Schabel (Broadway Dance Center)

Mark Morris (Mark Morris Dance Group)

Kennesaw State University

www.kennesaw.edu/theatre/dance

Pulinkala is the founding director of the Program in Dance at Kennesaw State University. Started in 2005, the program currently enrolls more than 80 dance majors and offers a B.A. degree in Dance. Pulinkala teaches courses in modern technique, choreography, dance history, kinesiology, performance, and is the artistic director of the Kennesaw State University Dance Company. In 2005, he received the Board of Regents award for Teaching Excellence from Murray State University. He is committed to contributing to the development of the next generation of artists through his work as a dance educator and choreographer.

The KSU Program in Dance has received regional and national attention for Pulinkala's choreographic work at the American College Dance Festival. In 2008, "INCUBUS" choreographed by Pulinkala, was one of 29 dances selected out of a national pool of 430 to be performed at the National American College Dance Festival held at the Miller Theatre in New York City. In 2010 Pulinkala's work "CHAKRA" was selected for the second national year in succession to be performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Both these works were an artistic collaboration with scenic designer Ming Chen. Pulinkala's work was also selected for the ACDF Southeast regional gala concerts in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. In July 2009 dancer from Atlanta Ballet premiered "SUCCUBUS," a contemporary ballet developed as a second act to "INCUBUS." Pulinkala plans to combine the two works into an evening-length contemporary ballet in the future.

Guest Artist Residencies

Pulinkala has choreographed and taught for a number of professional companies, colleges and arts organizations:

gloATL (2010)

Washington University in St. Louis (2009)

Atlanta Ballet (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010)

University of South Carolina (2008)

Nirvana Films (2007)

Governor's School for the Arts, Tennessee (2006, 2008)

The Dancer's Studio (2007)

Middle Tennessee State University (2005-2007)

Atlanta Gay Men's Chorus (2007, 2008)

Spelman College (2006)

Modern Atlanta Dance Festival (2006, 2007)

Decatur Arts Festival (2006)

Shanghai International Theatre Festival (2005)

Shelter Repertory Dance Company (2005)

Full Radius Dance Company (2005)

Mundial Festival (2005)

Murray State University (2001-2005)

Western Kentucky University (2004)

Danceworx (2004, 2009)

Vanderbilt University (2003, 2004)

U.C. Berkley (2004)

Mills College (2004)

Contemporary Dance Exchange of Nashville (2003-2005)

University of Tennessee at Martin (2003)

American College Dance Festival (2004-2009)

City Lights Youth Theatre (2001)

Delhi Music Theatre (1994-2002)

American Embassy School (1997-2002)

St. George's College (1994, 1995)

Grants/ Awards

National Endowment for the Arts (American Masterpiece Grant) 2010

Clendenin Graduate Fellowship (Kennesaw State University) 2010

Board of Regents Teaching Excellence Award 2005 (Murray State University)

KSU Faculty Incentive Grant 2006-07

Faculty Teaching Development Grant

Faculty Professional Development Grant

Committee on Institutional Studies and Research Grant

Individual Artist Fellowship Program Grant at the Kentucky Arts Council

Middle Tennessee State University International Guest Artist Grant

Publications

Piper of the Soul (In print 2010)

Lambert Academic Publishing

ISBN#978-8383-1149-4

The Sensuality of Indian Movement

ArtConcerns.com

Online- October 2009/ Print- January 2010

Polyphonic Dynamics as Educational Practice

Co-authored with Karen Robinson and Ming Chen

Theatre Topics (Spetember 2010)

Professional Affiliations

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD)

National Dance Association (NDA)

American Association for Health Education (AAHE)

American College Dance Festival Association (ACDFA)

Delhi Music Theatre (India)

Georgia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (GAHPERD)

gloATL Board of Directors

Get Talking Rich With Shamshir Rai Luthra & Friends