Festival of Indian Dance - Aug 6

Indo-American Arts Council

presents

Saturday Aug 6, 7-9PM, In-Person

Ailey Citigroup Theatre

Ticketed event, with special pricing for artists and students

Indian dance exponent Birju Maharaj-ji said time is the paper on which the patterns of the talas (rhythm) are drawn. The temporal structures of dance are most particularly intertwined with those of music and literary forms. Together they give formal expression to processes that permeate Indian culture and which are taken for granted. What are these expressions of time, and in how many ways can we dance them? The dancers in 2022 all reflect on this theme of time and its many interpretations.

Sanjib Bhattacharya and Jagannath Lairenjam Sapta, Manipuri-Pung Cholom (drum dance)

'Sapta' meaning seven, is an attempt to paint the canvas of time, using 3 sets of 7 beats.

12 minutes of time is celebrated through three ornate sets of 7 matras (beats), each set depicting a significant tradition of Manipuri Classical Dance. Meanwhile, each set is uniquely designed to invigorate one of the five senses of the human body.

• In the first set, the dancer creates designs using his masculine (tandav) and feminine (lasya) body movements; aimed at the audience’s sense of sight, as they watch the dancer turning, rising and falling through time and space.

• In the second set, the dancer using rhythm and percussion (mridang), weaves magic through the sense of touch. The fingers drumming the two faces of the percussion instrument, at times gently, at times with force; create sounds that reverberate through body and mind.

• In the final set, the dancer moves in step to complex compositions (tarana) of auspicious words and melody; as audience, through their sense of hearing, gets immersed in the ocean of sounds.

Sapta, therefore, is a celebration of time that invigorates the senses, using the diversity and traditions Manipuri Classical Dance. Concurrently, ‘Sapta’ turns into a medium (of time) for the preservation of this classical dance form.

Sanjib Bhattacharya is a renowned dancer, choreographer and teacher; who has won numerous awards across the world, including Appreciation awards by the Presidents of India in 2006 and 2011. He has trained professionally in both Manipuri Classical and Contemporary Indian Dance techniques under world-renowned dance icons like Guru Bipin Singh, Padmasree Darshana Jhaveri, Kalavati Devi, Manjushree Chaki Sircar and Mamata Shankar. In addition to giving stage performances, Sanjib has collaborated with dancers and choreographers trained in various dance forms from around the world to create many landmark productions. Currently based in the United States; Sanjib Bhattacharya is the Artistic Director of Movements in Motion; where he continues to teach, perform and collaborate.

Jagannath Lairenjam started training in Pung (Manipuri drum) under Guru Mani Singh from the age of 8. From 1979 to 2000 he lived, trained, and performed with various gurus in Manipur and Kolkata including Guru Bipin Singh. He has performed across the world as Sankirtan accompanist on Pung Cholom. His key performances include at the Ratha Yatra (Puri), India Lokranga Festival, (Jaipur), Sana Leibak Festival (Mumbai) and Khajuraho Festival (Uttar Pradesh) and at various events in the US.

Ananya Chatterjee Group contemporary

Ananya Photo by Canaan Mattson

They were dying like fish, and we rose like tigers (a preview excerpt from Nün Gherāo, Salt Water Stories)

Taking the 1978-79 heinous massacre of refugees from Bangladesh on Marichjhapi Island in West Bengal, India, as its point of departure, this work explores dispossession, betrayal, exile, resistance, memory, and the struggle to hold on to those who we have lost. In the circular structure of this work, the artists converge to energize close formations, but repeatedly dissolve them, suggesting the fierce desperation of global resistance movement, fighting against many odds.

The last moments of the work, imagined as a circle of ritual destruction, activates liminal spaces where the salt waters of our tears meet the rising and warming oceans of our world.

The work is choreographed in Ananya Dance Theatre's, Yorchhā. In Yorchhā, movement principles of Odissi, Mayurbhanj Chhau, and Vinyasa yoga intersect and remix to articulate a contemporary feminist consciousness. where movement principles of Odissi, Mayurbhanj Chhau, and Vinyasa yoga intersect and remix to articulate a contemporary feminist consciousness.

Ananya Dance Theatre is a professional ensemble of BIPOC women and femme artists who believe in the transformative power of dance and identify as cultural activists. Their work electrifies on the intersectional frontiers of artistic excellence, social justice, and community-embedded practice. In dancing stories where the lives and dreams of women from the global majority occupy the center, they shift the landscape of mainstream culture, build understanding about arts and social justice, and empower women's voices. Ananya Dance Theatre's Shawngrām Institute for Performance and Social Justice is located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Ananya Dance Theatre was named a Regional Cultural Treasure through a joint initiative of the Ford Foundation and McKnight Foundation in 2021.

Concept & Choreography: Ananya Chatterjea

Score: Spirit McIntyre (recorded and live)

Stage direction: Marcus Young

Costumes: Annie Cady

Scenography: Chelsea Warren

Filmography: Darren Johnson

Performers: Ananya Chatterjea, Kealoha Ferreira, Alexandra Eady, Parisha Rajbhandari, Lizzette Chapa, Noelle Awadallah, Alexis Araminta Renee, Spirit McIntyre.

Kavya Ganesh Contemporary Bharatanatyam

Kavya Ganesh is a passionate Bharatanatyam dancer and a disciple of Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Smt. Rama Vaidyanathan. Dedicated to her craft from a very young age, she brings rhythm and grace to her dance.

She has performed across India, USA and Europe in solo performances as well as group works with her teacher’s ensemble. Some of her notable performances include Konark festival, NCPA Mumbai’s Mudra Festival, Natyanjali festival, Esplanade Singapore, SWEAT festival Hong Kong, and many more.

She is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Literature and the Performing Arts at Ashoka University, Haryana, India and is also selected for the ‘Conservatory for Actors’ drama program at Yale University in the summer of 2022.

Bhavana Reddy Solo Kuchipudi, Narasimhavataram

Hiranyakashyapu, a demon king worshiper of Shiva, underwent severe austerities and sought a boon from Brahma, to be unvanquishable by any weapon, by any man or animal, inside or outside, by day or by night. With this boon Hiranyakshyapa grew powerful and fearless bringing his tyranny over men and gods alike, who had fallen victim to his actions. One fateful day, a devotee of Vishnu was born to Hiranyakashyapa and despite his many efforts, son Prahlada did not leave the path of Vishnu. Father grew tired and challenged him “Where is this god of yours?” He questioned. “If he truly exists let him come forth and save you!” Lord Vishnu then appeared as neither man nor animal, at even time (neither day nor night and neither inside nor outside. He emerged from within a pillar with nails as his weapon and appeared as Narasimha, the man-lion. He disemboweled Hiranyakshyapu, drank his blood and wore his entrails around his neck as jandhyamu (sacred thread).

Prahlada is crowned King by Narasimha himself, who gives him boons and blesses him to reign happily for a thousand years. Lord Vishnu once again restores hope and his devotees celebrate the triumph of good over evil.

Bhavana Reddy, internationally acclaimed young Kuchipudi Indian Classical Dancer. Nearing three decades, her career started at the tender age of 4 under her illustrious parents Dr.s Raja Radha Reddy. Los Angeles Times review headlined “Indian Classical Soloists Stand Out” mentioned “The Reddys’ 8-year-old daughter, Bhavana, made her mark, displaying a budding ability to mesmerize in her own solo.” - Jennifer Fisher. As a solo performing artiste she has presented workshops and concerts for prestigious organisations, Embassies and Consulates of India across the world including Germany, Singapore, Sydney, San Francisco, Spic Macay, Temple of Fine Arts Malaysia, Indonesia, National Museum Copenhagen, Kennedy Center Washington DC, Mudra Festival NCPA, Mumbai Sanskriti Festival, Kalidas Samaroh Nagpur, Yagnaraman Festival Krishnagana Sabha. She founded Natya Tarangini International Institution for Kuchipudi Dance training dedicated students under her. Some collaborative highlights include - the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra’s, ‘Rite of Spring’ with Kitty Mcnamee at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Currently she is on tour in Europe as the ‘Artist-in-Residence’ choreographing with Leo Spreksel for India Dans Festival, Korzo Netherlands, and with Prof. Ronan Guilfoyle, Director School of Jazz Performance, Dublin City University, Ireland.

Host or Publisher Indo-American Arts Council