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Digital Premiere of Nrityagram: Samhāra Revisited

Celebrating the Roots of Indian Dance 

As the New York Times noted, “The only proper response to dancers this amazing is worship.” .

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]magine the fabulous Nrityagram Dance Company performing at the equally fabulous Temple of Dendur in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Well, this actually happened in October 2018, accompanied by a live original score,  but for all those who did not get to see this remarkable performance, it’s coming to you in your own living room or even bedroom!  A command performance just for you!

[dropcap]“T[/dropcap]his is a section where the Kandyan dancers are actually dancing to Odissi’s sound,” said the choreographer and dancer Surupa Sen of “Saṃhara Revisited,” which brings together two dance traditions: the classical Indian dance form of Odissi, performed by @nrityagram (in saris), and Kandyan dance from Sri Lanka, performed by members of @chitrasena_dance. “Even though they’re doing completely Kandyan movements, you can actually see the differences in the way they use their bodies to melody,” Surupa said. “They only dance to rhythm, so their whole body language changes.” For “Saṃhara Revisited,” performed at the Temple of Dendur at the @metmuseum, Oct. 27-28, Surupa, assisted by the Kandyan choreographer Heshma Wignaraja, said she wondered, “How to do it so it’s a conversation and not fusion?” (NYT Instagram)

“It was fascinating to see the contrast between the wider stances and folksy delivery of the Kandyan dancers, with their loping jumps and expansive movements, and the Nrityagram dancers’ complex musicality and more sinuous use of the back,” wrote The New Yorker.

Now you can enjoy this dance conversation from the comfort of your couch – and judge for yourself!

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Met digital premiere of Nrityagram’s Samhāra Revisited will be streamed on The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s YouTube and Facebook on Saturday, July 18 beginning at 7:30 p.m.So plan on seeing some wonderful artistes coming right to your home in this time of coronavirus.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nrityagram Dance Ensemble in collaboration with The Chitrasena Dance Company
Surupa Sen, artistic director, choreographer, sound design, off-stage voice, and manjira
Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi, composer
Lynne Fernandez, executive producer, technical director, lighting design
Heshma Wignaraja, assistant choreographer
Bijayini Satpathy, research, costume design
Ghulam Rasool, master tailor

Rhythm Composers
Dhaneswar Swain (India), Presanna Singakkara (Sri Lanka), Surupa Sen

Dancers (Nrityagram Dance Ensemble) are
Surupa Sen, Bijayini Satpathy, Pavithra Reddy
Akshiti Roychowdhury, Prithvi Nayak, Urmila Mallick

Dancers (Chitrasena Dance Company)
Thaji Dias, Sandani Sulochani
Musicians (India)
Jateen Sahu, lead vocal and harmonium
Rohan Dahale, chants and mardala
Parshuram Das, bamboo flute

Musician (Sri Lanka)
Waruna Shri Hemachandra Kandyan, drum

The good news is that soon you’ll be able to actually visit the Met Museum in person. Plans are on to open the Met on August 27, pending state and city approval.

https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/policies-and-documents/visitor-guidelines