The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) has announced Nisha Pradeep as its new Anne Reeves Artist-in-Residence. During her residency, Pradeep will develop Pratima: Singularity and Beyond, a new choreographic work that uses the rich vocabulary of Indian classical dance to explore the evolving relationship between human intelligence and artificial intelligence.
Trained in the Indian classical dance forms Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam, Pradeep began her artistic journey at Nataraj Kalamandir in India under the tutelage of Guru Rajalakshmi Surendran. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Bharatanatyam from Annamalai University and has also studied Nattuvangam (dance accompaniment cymbals) under Guru Sri Swaminathan Pillai, Guru Sri T. S. Nandakumar, and Guru Sri Jagadeesh Janardhanan. After migrating to the U.S. in 2002, Pradeep reentered an active performance life in the New Jersey/New York region, where cross-cultural exposure and collaboration have become central to her artistic practice.
Pratima: Singularity and Beyond contrasts humanity’s organic, multi-millennial evolution with the rapid, exponential growth of synthetic intelligence. Through expressive storytelling (Abhinaya) and intricate rhythmic structures, the work investigates the philosophical threshold known as the Singularity — the point at which artificial intelligence surpasses human capability — and the emergence of superintelligence. At its core, the project asks a timely and essential question: What does it mean to be human in an era of sentient machines?
The residency will culminate in a performance that includes a showing of the work in progress, followed by a guided discussion with the audience. The event aims to bridge ancient tradition and futuristic inquiry through the accessible and emotive language of dance. The recital and discussion will take place on Sunday, March 29, at the Arts Council of Princeton. Additional details will be announced.
“As we approach singularity and beyond and leap into the AI era, humans need to rediscover our superpower,” Pradeep said. “The superpower that we lost over the centuries — the power of being ‘human’ and ‘humane.’”
For more information about Pradeep and her work, visit her website at sites.google.com/view/nisha-pradeepbn.
The Anne Reeves Artist-in-Residence Program, named after the ACP founding director, was established by the Arts Council in 2009 to offer artists the opportunity to conceptualize and create work while providing the community with creative interaction with working artists in all disciplines. This project would not be possible without the support of Timothy M. Andrews, longtime supporter of the Arts Council of Princeton, who has generously underwritten the Anne Reeves Artist-in-Residence program.
The Arts Council of Princeton is at 102 Witherspoon Street. For more information, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org.