Press Releases

Blue13 at Disneyland

For Immediate Release: November 10, 2016

Blue13 is proud to announce our 2-month residency at Disneyland this holiday season!  Join us at Disney California Adventure for the brand new Festival of Holidays, lighting up the park November 10th-January 8th.  Blue13 performs Indian dance, from semi-classical Kathak inspired movement to rousing Bhangra, to a celebratory interactive Bollywood dance party for all.  See us daily at Paradise Pier, on the World of Color stage.

Performance Times Updated Daily Here.

It’s a season of celebrations at Disney California Adventure park!

With the debut of Festival of Holidays on November 10, you’re invited to come celebrate heartwarming holiday festivities inspired by cultural traditions from around the world. You’ll create new memories as you share in delicious food and drink, fun craft making and the universal language of music and dance.

Wonderful entertainment experiences throughout the park draw on the diverse celebrations that bring joy during this festive time of year, including Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas/Navidad and Three Kings Day.

  • Blue13 Dance Company – The spirited performers of Blue13 Dance Company turn up the fun with traditional Indian dances that build to a Bollywood party for all.
  • Mostly Kosher – Klezmer band Mostly Kosher showcases an entertaining and eclectic musical tapestry that weaves together jazz, Latin, rock and hip-hop.
  • RAISE – This uplifting a cappella vocal group brings a powerful, harmonious R&B spin to new and popular holiday songs.
  • Holiday Toy Drummers – The mischievous Holiday Toy Drummers march to their own merry beat as they perform precision drills with holiday cheer.
  • Mariachi Divas – Sing along with the GRAMMY Award-winning Mariachi Divas and their signature repertoire of catchy tunes.
  • Disney ¡Viva Navidad! – Enjoy holiday foods, crafts, Disney Character greetings and Latin American bands. The Three Caballeros host a fun street party featuring folklórico and samba dancers, live musicians and Mickey and Minnie in their fiesta best!
  • Princess Elena’s Musical Grand ArrivalElena of Avalor makes her Disneyland Resort debut during Festival of Holidays! Welcome the adventurous and kind-hearted Crown Princess, her royal dancers and magical friend Skylar as they celebrate the holidays with an uplifting musical cavalcade.

All this, plus an array of Disney character experiences and kid-friendly activities!

During Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure park, be sure to stop into Redwood Creek Challenge Trail for Santa’s Holiday Visit, where you can meet Santa and see how his joyful elves have transformed the area into a jolly playground of holiday fun and games.

As the sun sets, you won’t want to miss the evening concert at Paradise Park, featuring performances from two of the festival’s musical groups. And your day enjoying Festival of Holidays wouldn’t be complete without experiencing the all-new, nighttime water and light spectacular, “World of Color – Season of Light,” combining classic holiday songs with beloved characters and heartwarming moments from Disney and Pixar animation to create a sparkling winter fantasy filled with magic!

Festival of Holidays kicks off November 10 at Disney California Adventure park and continues daily through January 8, 2017.

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Achinta S. McDaniel joins faculty of USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance

For immediate release: August 1, 2016
Contact: Shoshana Mozlin, 310.876.2513

Blue13 Artistic Director, Achinta S. McDaniel has been appointed to the University of Southern California’s incredible Glorya Kaufman School of Dance in Los Angeles.  McDaniel will lecture and teach courses in Bollywood dance beginning in the Fall semester of 2016.  See her faculty profile page here.  An expert in Indian dance, particularly the Bollywood style, Achinta has worked as a choreographer for concert stage and the commercial film industry for over 15 years.  She is thrilled to take this step into such a renowned institution, surrounded by pioneers of dance on the faculty, and by gifted and talented students from across USC.  For more on USC Kaufman, visit kaufman.usc.edu.

Kiran Gandhi (M.I.A. Drummer) Joins Blue13 this August DTLA

For Immediate Release: July 15, 2016
Drummer Kiran Gandhi joins Blue13 in Moves After Dark at the Music Center this August in Los Angeles. An American drummer/ percussionist based in Los Angeles, GandhiKiran Gandhi Tom Tom Magazine Feature has toured internationally with Grammy nominee M.I.A as well as electronic DJ-duo Thievery Corporation. Her styles range from hip-hop and pop to drum’N’bass and latin jungle, and she plays both drum set and various forms of standing percussion. She has been featured in publications like Rolling StoneTom Tom MagazineThe Drummer’s JournalVICE and Mic.com. She has performed at SXSW, Pitchfork Music Festival, OFFF Barcelona, Fun Fun Fun Fest, Bestival and Daybreaker. She has spoken at Ableton LOOP, NAMM, SXSW, SF Music Tech and The Future of Music Coalition Summit in DC. Gandhi collaborates with drummer Dave Lewis and Violinist Alma Cielo for Blue13’s new piece “Among Whispers,” premiering at Moves After Dark August 8th.
Moves After Dark features 4 different dance companies including Blue13 at various sites around the Music Center and Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles.  Shows: August 8, 15, 16, 17, 8:30 pm.

Violinist Alma Cielo to Join Blue13 in Moves After Dark this August!

Alma CieloFor Immediate Release: July 15, 2016
Violinist and Sarengi player, Alma Cielo joins Blue13 in Moves After Dark at the Music Center this August in Los Angeles.  Alma Cielo is a cross-genre violinist, dancer, performing artist.  A graduate of Yale University, she is part of a wide variety of ensembles and theater groups and has performed in venues such as the Hollywood Bowl, Disney Hall, California Plaza, and in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She performed with Blue13 at one of its first shows in Los Angeles in 2004, and is thrilled to be collaborating again with this wonderful company.  Cielo joins forces with longtime collaborator Dave Lewis (drums), and M.I.A. drummer Kiran Gandhi in this special Blue13 show at the Music Center.  Blue13 premieres “Among Whispers” at Music Center’s Moves After Dark with these talented musicians on August 8th, with additional shows on August 15th, 16th, and 17th, 8:30 p.m.
For information and tickets: YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO.

Renowned Drummer Dave Lewis Joins Blue13 at Music Center

Dave Lewis, DrummerFor Immediate Release: July 16, 2016
Drummer Dave Lewis joins Blue13 in Moves After Dark at the Music Center this August in Los Angeles.  Dave Lewis is easily one of the most exciting drumming talents in the world today. Born in 1983, Lewis grew up playing piano and began composing at the age of 8. By twelve, he was given his first drum set and never looked back. Influenced by jazz, latin, rock and East Indian classical music, Lewis‘s ingenuity took him well beyond his years. He received a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, where he graduated in December of 2005.  A solid, articulate and dynamic musician, Lewis has worked with some of the biggest names in music, including Vince Neil (Motley Crue) Robby Kreiger (The Doors) George Thorogood, Mike Stern, Richard Bona, Joe Lovano, Sheila E., Deepak Ram, Kai Eckhardt, Taufiq Qureshi, George Brooks, Arohi Ensemble, Paul Livingstone, Abhijit Banerjee, Pedro Eustache, Peter Jacobson, Salar Nader, Alam Khan, Sheila Govindarajan, Maiya Sykes and Mirror Talk.  Aside from maintaining a high profile as one of the most in demand live and studio musicians in Los Angeles, Lewis also brings music to the big screen as a composer, where his works range from commercials to films. Whether creating lush soundscapes or thunderous drums, Lewisbrings breathtaking emotion to his creative works. More info at www.davelewisgroup.com.  In Blue13’s new piece, “Among Whispers,” Lewis collaborates with Sarengi player and violinist, Alma Cielo, and percussionist Kiran Gandhi, of M.I.A. fame.  See the piece at Moves After Dark August 8, 15, 16, 17 at the Music Center in Los Angeles, 8:30 p.m.