Mythic storytelling in South Asian classical dance occasion CanNatyam
The primary-of-its-kind present with two performances has a number of the nation’s finest Indian dancers and musicians will shut out the Thousand Faces Pageant
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Bringing mythic South Asian dancers from throughout the nation to carry out in quite a few distinct and exquisite types, the CanNatyam classical dance occasion this weekend is the primary of its variety in Edmonton.
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The Nov. 4 and 6 occasion staged at La Cité Francophone — the ultimate push of this 12 months’s multicultural Thousand Faces Pageant — will function a few of Canada’s high classical Indian dancers and musicians, together with the nationwide Sopanam Canada troupe within the Alberta premiere of the Kathakali artwork type, stated to be probably the most theatrical on this collection of spectacular dance-dramas backed with stay music.
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“It’s our flagship occasion in our tenth anniversary season,” says Thousand Faces’ creative director Mark Henderson, “honouring the contribution that South Asian classical artists have made to the pageant since its inception.”
Henderson helped carry CanNatyam along with a lot heavy lifting from curators Shreela Chakrabartty and Malavika Venkatsubbaiah, the latter additionally a choreographer and performer.
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“A deep want to place forth an unique South Asian dance pageant to the Alberta viewers,” Venkatsubbaiah explains, “showcasing the range, the vibrancy, the flexibility and the wealthy content material that Indian classical dance and music has to supply has brewed in me for a really very long time.”
Venkatsubbaiah’s a part of The Natyam Ensemble, that includes Bharatanatyam-style dancing, certainly one of eight well known Indian classical dance kinds — this one originating in Tamil Nadu tracing again to the 2nd century.
Natyam’s 3:30 p.m. Sunday efficiency, Lila, will function stay music from an orchestra led by native composer Deepal Paramshivan, a composer, singer and Sarangi bowed string instrument participant.
After this will likely be Sopanam Canada’s Nalacharitham Kathakali: The Messenger of Love, which can depict in dance and spectacular costumes the story of Nala, Damayanti and the Golden Swan from the basic Sanskrit epic, The Mahabharata.
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“I’ve heard individuals questioning if we might ever get Kathakali to Edmonton,” says Henderson, “and eventually we are able to.
“It takes them seven hours to get into make-up as a result of the masks are actually affixed to their faces. With big costumes, it’s an especially lyrical, lovely, truly quite family-friendly story about two individuals falling in love.”
That’s the Sunday program. Now let’s rewind and try Friday, which begins at 7 p.m. with new program addition Roshni Sajiv Kumar doing a efficiency referred to as Nrithyathi Nrithyathi.
“She’s doing Mohiniyattam, which is a type of dance from Kerala. The title comes from Mohini, who was an enchantress, an incarnation of Vishnu, come to cope with a demon who might flip anybody on this planet into ash — he simply needed to contact the highest of their head.
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“He immediately falls in love together with her, in fact,” Henderson explains, saying he asks to marry her, which she agrees to solely after a dance-off.
“She’s not doing that story,” says Henderson, “however that’s the place the dance comes from — and it’s probably the most enchanting dance on this planet.”
Subsequent up is Toronto Odissi dancer Anannya Biswas, doing three numbers.
“She’s doing a brand new solo dance that’s about Kali,” says Henderson. “That’s one other kind of very lyrical dance type.”
Lastly on the Friday program: the Edmonton Kathak artists of Usha Dance Entourage. “Kathak is a dance type with an extended evolution that had an preliminary interval as a sacred dance,” says Henderson. “The kathakers have been primarily storytellers and would go round doing tales from The Mahabarata.
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“Then the Mughals got here in they usually turned it into extra of a courtroom dance, bringing in some Persian affect.
“So to some extent, it’s like Indian dance meets Whirling Dervishes.”
The exhibits are produced by Aidan McBride. In addition to the music, the performances will likely be accompanied by phrases from native author Satya Prata Das.
“He’s carried out some great voiceovers,” says Henderson, “with contextual stuff for a number of the items.
“And there will likely be slides that cue little story factors as we’re going alongside, artfully woven into the general stage image.”
In addition to the 2 exhibits, Thousand Faces Pageant can also be throwing the CanNatyam On-line Dance Symposium 10 a.m. Nov. 26, which can talk about what it’s wish to be an expert ethnic dancer in Canada representing classical and folks traditions from one other nation. Register for this at thousandfaces.ca.
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Tickets can be found from tixonthesquare.ca, $31 for a single day or a pageant go for $41.
“With CatYandam I purpose to carry to gentle the finer nuances these artwork kinds have to supply,” says Venkatsubbaiah, “and their adaptation to the modern arts scene, whereas staying deep-rooted to their unique vocabulary.”
Henderson hopes this brings new audiences to witness historical types. “And from that, to be observed by the following technology of dancers to allow them to come into it, too,” he says. “And we’re all the time open to new dancers at Thousand Faces Pageant.”
“CanNatyam will really be a weekend of heaven on stage,” says Venkatsubbaiah. “Do come and revel in!”
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PREVIEW
CanNatyam
When Nov. 4 and 6
The place La Cité Francophone (8627 Rue Marie-Anne Gaoury)
Tickets $31 single day, $41 pageant go at tixonthesquare.ca
