Jehlen's emotionally powerful choreography has been performed throughout the United States, Europe, India and in Japan. Her work is informed by her study of storytelling and literature from around the world. She holds a Bachelors with Honors in Storytelling, Ritual and Performance from Brown University and a Masters of Theological Studies in Religion and Performance from Harvard University. Recent works include Birth (2005) a juxtaposition of the story of the creation of dance and rhythm from South India and the image from the well-known lecture on Chaos Theory, the Butterfly Effect; Dragon (2005), based on a Japanese folk tale about a girl who becomes a water dragon; Breathing Space (2003), a collaboration with Japanese choreographer Hikari Baba; Crane (2002), a twenty-five minute work for six dancers based on images from Japanese Buddhist poetry; Haaaa (2002), a dance for five dancers inspired by the experience of childbirth; Midnight (2000), based on a poem by Sufi saint Jelaluddin Rumi; Job 10 (1999), based on the tenth chapter of the Book of Job of the Hebrew Bible; and Becoming Fire (1998), an evening length work for two dancers and five musicians exploring texts from the Sufi traditions of Iran and South Asia.
Another important element of Jehlen's work is collaboration with Deaf performers and poets. She is fluent in American Sign Language and uses both the language and aesthetic of American Sign Language poetry in her choreography, often collaborating with Deaf artists in the creation of bi-cultural works.
Jehlen has received funding and recognition for her choreography from the Artist Grants Program of the Massachusetts Cultural Council (2001, 2003), the Senior Performing Artist Fellowship program of the American Institute of Indian Studies (2001), the Ford Foundation/Arts International (1996), the Puffin Foundation (2001), the Tokyo American Center (2002), the National Endowment for the Arts (2005), the Fulbright program/United States Educational Foundation in India (2005-2006, the National School of Drama (2006) and the Alliance Francaise de Madras (2006), among others.
Pradhuman Nayak (performer) has been performing the dance and music of his native Jharkhand since childhood. He has toured nationally and internationally with his performing group, Kunjban, including performances at the Seattle International Children's Festival. Nayak is a graduate of the National School of Drama, India. Nayak is known throughou India and abroad for his tremendous versatiliity.
Nandlal Nayak (music) is a Contemporary composer was born into the folk cultural and musical traditions of Jharkhand, India. He is highly trained in the traditional drumming and singing forms of this region. Nayak's work as a Contemporary composer is innovative yet grounded in his tradition. Nayak acted as artistic director of a world music project called FabricaMusica, based in Treviso, Italy and funded by Benetton Group, with musicians from Ghana, Italy, Turkey, India, Japan and the United States. He has composed and performed music in collaboration with contemporary composer Michael Galasso for the Monte Carlo Ballet, and for internationally acclaimed theater director Robert Wilson. His music is featured in the traveling Giorgio Armani exhibit which opened in 2002 at the Guggenheim Museum in New York Cty. Nayak is also a composer for film and recently directed the music for the film Amu, directed by Shonali Bose, which has received many national and international awards, including the National Award for Best English Film in 2005.