Daniel Phoenix Singh (center) with members of the Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Co.

By now, the Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company is a familiar presence in the local arts scene, having won numerous awards, including Best Emerging Group and Best Costume design from Dance Metro DC in 2008. In addition to its dance performances, the organization has branched out to present live concerts, film screenings, and other endeavors designed to expose traditional and contemporary South Asian arts to a wider audience. But the highlight of Dakshina’s calendar is its Fall Festival of Indian Arts, the annual dance production whose sixth iteration will take place this weekend at the historic Lincoln Theatre.

This year’s theme is “Grace,” and the festival showcases three artists from India who are known for their elegance. Alarmel Valli and Leela Samson are masters of Bharatanatyam, a South Indian classical dance style. Madhavi Mudgal is an exponent of Odissi, a classical form originating from the East Indian state of Orissa. All three dancers have received high honors from the Indian government for artistic achievement.

“The idea of grace is easily evident in the physical sense when you watch these great dancers,” said Daniel Phoenix Singh, Dakshina’s president and artistic director. “[B]ut what is interesting to me is that they transcend the physical and find the spiritual grace.”