Year: 2025-2026
DanceForce Member: James Lemons
Partnering DanceForce Member: Ivan Sygoda
Artist: Barkha Patel
Community Partner: Lake Placid School of Dance
Audience: 59
County: Essex
The Lake Placid Center for the Arts (LPCA) was proud to host a two-day residency with internationally acclaimed Kathak artist Barkha Patel on March 20–21, 2026. This residency introduced the Lake Placid community to the rich traditions of Kathak, fostering cultural understanding through both participatory learning and performance.
The primary goals of the residency were to introduce North Country audiences to Kathak—a classical Indian dance form rooted in storytelling, rhythm, and musicality—provide high-quality, hands-on arts education opportunities for local students and residents, and foster cross-cultural dialogue through shared artistic experiences.
The residency featured Barkha Patel, a globally recognized artist and educator known for her dynamic performances and commitment to cultural exchange.
Planning for the residency was conducted collaboratively between LPCA staff and the artist, with a focus on creating accessible and meaningful engagement opportunities within a condensed two-day timeframe.
Programming centered on a combination of educational and performance-based activities on March 21. A morning introductory Kathak workshop invited community members of all experience levels to explore foundational movements, rhythm, and storytelling elements of the form in a welcoming environment. That evening, a lecture-demonstration provided historical and cultural context for Kathak, alongside solo performance excerpts by the artist. A planned student-focused community workshop was unfortunately cancelled at the last minute due to inclement weather.
LPCA implemented a multi-channel marketing strategy that included digital outreach via email campaigns and social media, outreach to local schools, dance studios, and community organizations, as well as press releases and community calendar listings. As part of these efforts, the artist led a social media “takeover,” offering behind-the-scenes insight into her creative process and preparation, which helped deepen audience engagement and build anticipation for the public program.
This residency was supported through DanceForce and the New York State DanceForce network, helping connect LPCA with the artist and expand access to high-quality dance programming in the region.
The residency served a diverse cross-section of the community, including youth and adult dance students, local artists and educators, and community members with little or no prior exposure to Indian classical dance. The introductory nature of the workshop made the program especially accessible to first-time participants, encouraging new audiences to engage with both the art form and LPCA’s broader programming.
Audience and participant feedback highlighted the impact of the residency. One attendee noted: “The combination of learning and performance made the experience incredibly engaging—it deepened my appreciation for both the history and artistry of Kathak.” The residency also served as an important building block toward a deeper relationship with the artist and with Kathak as an art form, laying the groundwork for continued engagement and future programming in upcoming seasons.