About the Event

Firsthand Experiences bring contemporary creators together with learners ages 13 and older for hands-on programs that combine creative arts, conversations, and discovery.

Engage your body and mind in movement and art-making activities inspired by the exhibition Making Their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection. All materials will be provided; no experience necessary.

About the Artist Instructor:

Chitra Subramanian is an Indian American dancer, choreographer, and educator based in Washington, DC. A Pittsburgh native and originally from South India, she teaches, choreographs, and performs with her collective, chitra.MOVES. Her aesthetic draws from Hip Hop and Indian classical and folk foundations to tell stories, elevate artists, and meaningfully engage unseen and new audiences. Chitra fell in love with Hip Hop in the club scenes of Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. Spaces like the Shadow Lounge and Reunion Thursdays weren’t just places to dance—they were spaces where she learned about her city, forged lifelong friendships, and discovered her purpose and creative voice.

Recent works include TEMPLE, an evening-length work that was presented at Dance Place; LINKED, which premiered during her Atlas ArtsLAB residency; and Village Stories, which premiered and sold out shows at The Kennedy Center. Chitra also curates and teaches Rooting the Dance Hip Hop Series, spotlighting women and femmes in DC’s street dance community while providing consistent, high-quality training.

Chitra is a recipient of the Gallim Parent Moving Artist Residency, DC Commission Fellowship Grant, Atlas ArtsLAB Fellowship, the Kennedy Center’s Local Dance Commissioning Project, and the National Dance Project Production Grant.

Questions? Email education@nmwa.org.