ANDOVER, MA— Boston area fans of Indian classical dance are in for a special treat on Oct. 15, 2016. Two local dance-teachers, Sunanda Narayanan and Soumya Rajaram, will be joined by eminent scholar Sujatha Vijayaraghavan of Chennai. Vijayaraghavan’s concept and melodious music will used for the show.
Narayanan and Rajaram, who are also exceptional dancers, will be jointly performing a unique, beautifully choreographed dance show called “DESH” (Nation). They will be supported by six skilled young dancers, who are Guru Sunanda’s senior students. Vijayaraghavan, who is visiting from Chennai, will be introducing each of the pieces.
Using the traditional format of a Bharatanatyam performance (Margam) this performance will explore themes from India’s rich history and tradition of Ideas, enacting stories from epics, folklore, and the Struggle for Independence.
The dance pieces sparkle with brisk jatis and expressive dance sequences, as the stories of Gandhi and Buddha, Adi Shankara, Meera and Tyagaraja, are enacted. With effective use of poetry and innovative music, the contributions of these Seers to the realm of Ideas comes alive. Their ideals and guiding principles of non-violence and compassion, of devotion and sacrifice, of peaceful struggle and unity, continue to inspire us.
Originally created in 1997 to mark the 50th year of India’s independence by renowned Guru Rhada in Chennai, “DESH” (Nation) has been re-choreographed for a group performance by Guru Sunanda Narayanan. The lyrics for the different pieces are in several Indian languages — Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Sanskrit, Hindi. The show includes well-known pieces by Bankim Chandra and Subramanya Bharati, as well as original compositions by scholar Sujatha Vijayaraghavan. Her amazing singing enriches the show.
DESH (Nation) will be performed at the Chinmaya Maruti Auditorium in Andover, MA on Saturday, October 15th at 4:00 pm.
