National Centre of performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai presents the 5^th edition of its most awaited dance events of the year, August Dance Residencyfrom28August to 30 August 2015. The residency will  feature one of the oldest and most prestigious dance institutes in India, the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts. Established by danseuse Mrinalini Sarabhai in 1949, the academy is currently headed by her daughter, Mallika Sarabhai. The film screening, ‘Mrinalini Sarabhai: The artist and her art’, will mark the beginning of the festival, followed by 2 days of showcasing Darpana’s valued contribution to performing arts.

Swapnokalpa Dasgupta, Head – Programming - Dance, NCPA said, “Darpana Academy is universally known as an institution that promotes creativity in culture and arts and we at the NCPA areprivileged to host the institution at this years’ August Dance Residency. Three beautifully choreographed days, will showcase a film screening on Mrinalini Sarabhai, Mallika Sarabhai’s exceedingly acclaimed piece of work ‘Sita’s daughters’ and a workshop that suggests binding together the two forms of dance and theatre.”

The festival will begin with, ‘Mrinalini Sarabhai: The Artist and her Art’, a documentary by Yadavan Chandran on the legendary dancer that captures how she separated from the classical dance norms and content to use the language of dance to express issues that concerned her. The screening will be followed by a conversation with filmmaker Yadavan Chandran, Mallika Sarabhai and Kathak exponent Gauri Sharma Tripathi.

Day two of the residency will present dancer activist, Mallika Sarabhai’s applauded work, Sita’s daughters, a one woman show narrating the stories of some of India’s bravest women who questioned the world and its values without succumbing to pressure. The performance is a representation of brave Sitas who refused to surrender to the command of weak and distrustful men.

Concluding the residency is Dance, Movement and Theatre, a workshop that demonstrates the innovative use of stylized movements in theatre and the intelligent use of spoken words in dance, making it a must attend session for practitioners of both genres.