ABOUT THE MASTER
Ivan Pulinkala is a contemporary choreographer living and working in Atlanta, GA. Originally from New Delhi, India, Pulinkala moved to the United States in 1998 to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance. He began his professional training and choreographic career in India, where he served as the artistic director of his own company from 1994- 1998. Pulinkala served as the choreographer-in-residence for Delhi Music Theatre for five years, and was named among the 25 Indian artists of the Millennium by the India Today Magazine in their December 1999 issue.
In 2005, Ivan Pulinkala came to KSU’s Department of Theatre, Performance Studies, and Dance to develop the Program in Dance, for which he continues to serve as Director. From the beginning, Pulinkala’s vision for the new program involved community engagement and partnerships. Among the partnerships he has helped facilitate and sustain in the past six years, it is his work with the Atlanta Ballet that has transformed the academic and professional experience of KSU undergraduate dance majors, as well as those of his Atlanta Ballet partners. Recognizing that some dance students opt out of finishing their degrees once they receive their first job offers, Pulinkala and his partners designed a program that makes it possible for KSU students and Atlanta Ballet affiliates to pursue their degrees while simultaneously gaining professional experience.
