Āhuti by Nrityagram Dance Ensemble in collaboration with Chitrasena Dance Company,debuts at The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) on February 17 at 7:30pm. The performance and live online pre-show conversation represent a lively and engaging dialogue between the distinct dance traditions of South India and Sri Lanka, in the second cross-cultural collaboration between the two acclaimed companies. Available for view exclusively on The Arts Center website, Āhuti was filmed at Chowdiah Memorial Hall in Bangalore, India in 2019. Audiences can book free tickets to watch the show online. Note that this program will not be available on demand and can only be watched at the scheduled time.
Āhuti has been brought to life under the artistic direction of Surupa Sen, the first student to ever graduate from Nrityagram–one of the world’s leading dance companies. Accompanied by a group of five musicians playing ragas, the fluid and precise Odissi classical dance aims to bring the stories of the Hindu epics to life. Meanwhile, Chitrasena’s Kandyan form leans more towards the muscular, vertical, and athletic. Both companies incorporate percussion in their music and are rooted in ancient religious rituals. The collaboration represents the reciprocation of differing styles of expression, shifting from one to the other throughout.
Centered around the season’s continuing theme, ‘A Bridge’, the performance highlights the important role that The Arts Center plays in connecting cultures and traditions, showcasing significant artists, and delivering an eclectic mix of programming to cater to its diverse audiences.
Executive artistic director at The Arts Centre at NYUAD Bill Bragin commented: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to bring innovative and boundary-breaking performances, such as Āhuti, to our growing online community. Our mission from the outset has been to take a bold and inventive approach to programming, creating a crucial platform for cross-culture appreciation and understanding. Āhutirepresents a contemporary reimagination of classical and traditional dance forms. It also reflects a deeply rooted East-East collaboration which brings together and extends the rich arts of India and Sri Lanka in a manner that will deeply resonate with contemporary audiences from all backgrounds.”
The Nrityagram School is a renowned center of learning where dancers from all over the world gather to live in an environment that aims to nurture artistic exploration and development. The School’s aim is to prepare dancers for careers that combine performance with teaching, community outreach, and leadership. To enrich their practice, dancers are taught yoga, meditation, and martial arts along with Sanskrit and ancient dance scriptures. Choreographers, musicians, writers, and theater practitioners from all over the world visit, to perform and conduct workshops and seminars in their area of practice.
On the collaboration, Artistic Director of Nrityagram Dance Company Surupa Sen said: “Our second collaborative work with The Chitrasena Dance Company has taken us a step further towards understanding and integrating common resonances in our different movement styles and our dances that clearly reflect a shared and uniting history.
The two companies share a similar work ethic that aspires for excellence, which makes it fun and easy to work together. As a choreographer, I found a spontaneous and instinctive response in Heshma (assistant choreographer for Kandyan dance section for Āhuti) and, we began to understand our respective instincts for our dance work and inspire each other accordingly. We are already thinking of our next show together and widening it, to absorb more dance forms from Asia.”
Founded in 1943, Chitrasena has been widely recognized for rescuing traditional Sri Lankan dances that were confined to village settings and presenting them to the world. The dance company has performed a rich repertoire of dance and drumming pieces, and even original ballets, each inspired by ancient rituals and contemporary culture. Chitrasena aims to experiment, but without compromise, using traditional dance language to push boundaries.
Artistic Director of Chitrasena Dance Company HeshmaWignaraja said: “It has always been a great honour to be in the company of Nrityagram, leave alone being invited for a second time to collaborate with them.
Working with Surupadi* and her vision is so much more than what meets the eye. It is a learning experience you can never get enough of – whether you are a dancer or a musician – to be present in every moment, engaging, contributing, while watching her breathe life into the creative process. It is truly an offering everyday. I feel in one sense, Āhuti became that maha or great offering, through “Poornāratī” where 2 dance companies became one, to perform a ritual.
*Didi is a term of respect used for an older sister – here Heshma uses didi added to Surupa, thus Surupadi.”
The full performance will only be available in real-time on the day of the performance. Audiences must be registered to attend the event. The artists will be available prior to the performance to answer questions, in a Q&A moderated by author, dancer, and NYUAD faculty member Tishani Doshi.
Audiences are also invited to join the dance companies two Off The Stage events. Nrityagram Dance Company’s Pavithra Reddy will lead an Odissi Dance Technique Workshop on Tuesday, February 16 at 6pm. Participants will learn basic abstract movement phrases and isolated body training specific to Odissi classical Indian dance.
On Monday, February 22 at 6:30pm Nrityagram’s agent, Director of Booking at Pentacle Sandy Garcia, will join Octopus Theatricals’ Bryant Hunt (Theatre for One, Hadestown, An Illiad), Producer Hub’s Sophie Blumberg, and Artist and Founder of Deep Lab Addie Wagenknecht, will host an Arts Chat, titled Producing Creative Work During Times of Crisis. The panel will share their experiences in creative problem solving during the pandemic and talk through the strategies for sustaining the careers of their artist clients and their own businesses.
Details on all Off The Stage events and the performance of Āhuti are available on The Arts Center website.
