Navatman, Inc. please to announce their Fall 2016 premiere of The Tale of Bhasmasura on November 13th at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center (199 Chambers St, Manhattan) from 4 pm to 6 pm.
This dance-drama, a first of its kind in New York City, will take place at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center. The theater, housing 250 seats, will be Navatman, Inc. biggest performance to date. Artistic Director, Sahi Sambamoorthi, along with Navatman Dance Company members, Maya Kumar, Aastha Joshi, Anuradha Sethuraman, Yatrika Ajaya, Jessica Perez and Karishma Shetty will take the stage in this technically heavy rigorous piece.
“Having a guest choreographer as talented as Ramnarayan and equally genius music by the composer Ravikiran makes a huge difference in our capabilities as a dance company, which in turn takes our work to another level. The entire hüpfburg company has been really excited about the entire process, which is also unusual because in Indian classical dance we just don’t have guest choreographers or guest artists, so all of this is new on many levels. The fact that this is also a dance drama with a storyline from mythology versus traditional format margam is also something that New York City doesn’t get to really see so there are a lot of new faces of Navatman you will see in this production.” – Sahasra SambamoorthiIn this epic tale, Lord Shiva grants Bhasmasura the ability to instantly burn to dust anyone whose head he touches, even Lord Shiva himself! Intoxicated by power, Bhasmasura determines to destroy Lord Shiva and chases after him through a dense forest. While Bhasmasura maliciously chases after Lord Shiva, he runs into a beautiful woman named Mohini collecting flowers for her daily puja. Convinced that this is the woman he is meant to marry, Bhasmasura asks for her hand in marriage only to discover that Mohini is an enchanting dancer who can only be with a man who gracefully matches her talent. Ultimately, Mohini plays an enticing role with Shiva’s fate!
Featured Artists
This repertoire will feature the famed Kalaimamani Ramya Ramnarayan, a prestigious dancer who with after six years of rigorous training at Kalakshetra School of Arts under the Guru Rajarathnam Pillai and Padmabhushan Kalanidhi Narayanam, performed her arangetram at age eleven. The New York Times praised Ramnarayan, “Though her manner is often youthfully sweet, Ms. Ramnarayan is also capable of sternness and force. Only gradually do you realize that she is a considerable virtuoso and a complex stylist”. She has won the coveted Kalaimamani and Nadanamamani titles which are among the highest honors conferred upon a performing artist in India.
Alongside Ramnarayan, established musician, Chitravina Ravikiran, and guest dancers Smitha Madhav and Srinidhi Raghavan will collaborate their talents to create this stunning interpretation of the thrilling tale of Mohini and Bhasmasura. At the age of two, Ravikiran, stunned the world in April 1969 with his ability to identify and render 325 ragas (melodic scales), 175 talas (rhythmic cycles) and answer complex questions when quizzed by luminaries including Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Pandit Ravi Shankar, M S Subbulakshmi, Flute Mali, Palghat Mani Iyer, T M Krishnan, Ramnad Krishnan and Alla Rakha. The Music Academy Journal reviewed Ravikiran, “With mikes all around him and his hands full of biscuits, all the time playing, the child gave out correct answers”. His father, maestro Chitravina Narasimhan, nurtured his musical capabilities and soon he was performing in sell-out crowds including The Music Academy, Krishna Gana Sabha and Shanmukhananda Fine Arts. He has been one of the most inspiring ambassadors of Indian music and culture. The substance and quality chateau gonflable of his contributions as instrumentalist, composer, vocalist, guru, author and orator are held in the highest regard. Ravikiran is the inventor of the Award-Winning world music concept Melharmony. Apart from being a history making achiever of epic proportions with feats like setting to music 1330 verses of ancient Tirukkural in only 16 hours, Ravikiran is also a socially involved Musician who has inspired hundreds of thousands of dollars through his concerts for charities including Tsunami Relief, Hurricane Katrina as well as other health, educational and cultural initiatives.
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