The Chitrasena Vajira Dance Foundation presents ‘Nrityagram’, the international Odissi dance sensation from India, at the Lionel Wendt on January 17 and 18.
Following their highly acclaimed tour of the United States, they will be performing for the first time in Sri Lanka. The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble is regarded as one of the foremost dance companies of India and they have performed extensively around the globe. Although steeped in and dedicated to ancient practice, Nrityagram dancers are also involved in carrying Indian dance into the 21st century.
“Nrityagram is the best Indian classical company to come to this area in a long time. It’s confident. It’s cutting edge. It’s a winner!” said The Washington Post while The Hindu was equally enthusiastic:“The dancers from Nrityagram stormed the bastion of dance, wowing the knowledgeable audience into a standing ovation!” The event celebrates the birth anniversary of the father of Sri Lankan dance – Guru Chitrasena. All proceeds will go towards the rebuilding of the Chitrasena Kalayathanaya.
The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble comprises Manasi Tripathy, Rasmi Raj, Pavithra Reddy, Bijayini Satpathy and Surupa Sen. The music is composed by Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi,
Nrityagram’s founder, Protima Gauri - an exquisite Odissi dancer herself - converted ten acres of farmland into an ideal setting for the study, practice and teaching of classical dance. Reminiscent of ancient ashrams where gurus imparted not only technique but also a philosophy of being, it is a creative space where dancers, musicians and choreographers live together, sharing their skills and developing their art. The dancers study yoga, meditation, the martial arts as well as Sanskrit, mythology and literature.
Odissi is one of the oldest dance traditions in the world. Characterized by sensuousness and lyricism, with movements that reflect the motifs of Orissa temple sculpture, it captures drum rhythms, melodies, as well as the poetic meaning of songs taken from the vast canon of Oriya music. It speaks of love and union, between human and divine, transporting viewers to enchanted worlds of magic and spirituality.
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