THE NEWLY TRANSFORMED PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM
PROUDLY PRESENTS INDIA WEEK
JANUARY 8 – 11, 2004

This January the newly transformed Peabody Essex Museum presents India Week, featuring the art, music, dance, food, and film of India. This series, which runs from January 8–11, showcases the museum’s diverse collection of art from India, which includes hundreds of masterworks from the colonial and post-colonial era.

Thursday, January 8

The series kicks off with a dance workshop, Out of Bollywood: Modern Indian Dance, January 8 at 6:30 pm. This class explores the fusion of styles influencing contemporary Indian dance, including Western hip-hop, classical, and traditional Indian dance forms.

Friday, January 9

On Friday at 7 pm, the museum presents Vanaprastham, a compelling tale of forbidden love between a dancer and the high-caste woman he adores. The film highlights southern India’s Theater of Kathakali, which beautifully combines dance, music, dialogue, and mime.

Saturday, January 10

The museum offers three distinct programs. At 10 am, instructor Shruti Mehta leads an Indian cooking class, featuring such delights as nine-jeweled curry, saffron rice, beet raita, and the traditional kheer. A sit-down meal concludes the class. At 2 pm, instructor Sonal Bhatt leads a traditional folk dance class for ages six to twelve (with accompanying adult). And at 8 pm, musicians Prasanna and David Gilmore perform Indian jazz and classical Carnatic guitar music. This dynamic duo is known for its eclectic mix of cutting-edge jazz, classical, and world music compositions and its improvisational and non-Western musical techniques.

Sunday, January 11

The museum concludes India Week with a screening of the film Devdas at 2 pm. Devdas is one of the most expensive films ever made in Bollywood. The film is a technically flawless interpretation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhye’s novel of two star-crossed lovers.

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the rich art and culture of India at the Peabody Essex Museum. For additional information visit http://pem.org/events/indiaweek.php or call 978-745-9500, 3011.

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