Kamala Cesar , Disciple of T. Balasaraswati, (Bharata Natyam, South Indian Dance) was born in Brooklyn, New York and is Native American (Mohawk Tribe) and Filipino. She studied Bharata Natyam (the classical dance of South India) both in the United States and in India, under T. Balasaraswati, Bharata Natyam's legendary and foremost exponent,. She is one of the few American disciples carrying on the style of T. Balaswarasati in this country. Ms. Cesar has participated in programs sponsored by the American Society for Eastern Arts, the Center for World Music, Asian Traditions, The American Dance Festival and Wesleyan University. In 1986, she was a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Folk Art Apprenticeship.  She has performed extensively in the United Stated, Europe and India. Ms. Cesar is the Founder and Artistic Director of Lotus Music & Dance, a not-for-profit organization that has been supporting  multicultural programs since 1989 that further the understanding, appreciation and preservation of traditional arts and the creation of new works that evolve from traditional art forms. She has produced several cross-cultural productions including The New York Ramayana, Eagle Spirit—A Tribute to the Mohawk High Steelworkers, Message of Peace—An Excerpt from the Peacemaker’s Journey, World in The City, Dancing Across Cultural Borders, World Dance Passport  and Lotus—the Energy Within.