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Urban Kutcheri - Where Classical India Meets The Modern Metropolis
Urban Kutcheri is a unique endeavor by prominent New York based Indian classical artists who have come together to present their traditions in a modern light. The program presents classical Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music juxtaposed with contemporary imagery and word. This production follows on the heals of the largely successful premiere of Urban Kutcheri at the Joyce/SoHo in June 2006 to great audience acclaim.
Kutcheri literally means 'a performance environment.' The core of the program is the presentation of each classical item in its own context. Audiences will be transported to the temples of South India where the priests are performing the ritual poojas while the deity is carried out to procession; to the grand royal courts where the temple dancers prepare to entertain the kings; and finally to the celestial sphere where the Gods are gathered together to hear Nandi, the bull, play the ancient drum for Shiva’s cosmic dance.
The artists that have come together hail from a variety of genres, from dance and music to poetry and photography. Accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer Sonali Skandan will present the ancient dance form, which has its roots in the temples and courts of South India. Highly structured in nature, Bharatanatyam involves rhythmic footwork, elaborate mime and poses reminiscent of temple carvings. The Akshara Percussion Ensemble will perform Carnatic music, the classical music of South India, known for its highly intricate nature. The group, led by A.R. Balaskandan, a well-known percussionist and violinist, along with members Arun Ramamurthy on violin and percussionists Jonathan Singer and Zach Knight, will powerfully demonstrate the rhythmic repartee between the Carnatic percussive tradition and world percussive traditions. Each scene will be “created†by a backdrop of poetry and photography by artists Raina Mehta, whose graceful and eloquent poetry creates a distinctive ambience, and Jigar Mehta, whose photographs vividly captures the mood of each scene.
The artists have numerous performance and production credits to date, including the World Sacred Music and Dance Festival in Los Angeles, the Chennai Music and Dance Festival in India, the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., as well as original productions in London, Canada, the US and India. In addition, they have performed alongside some of the most well-known classical artists of India and the world. They bring countless years of performance and creative experience to this unique Boston event.
The event is presented by Jiva Performing Arts, a not-for-profit arts organization based in New York, which strives to promote and preserve the classical music and dance of India through performance and education.
Date: 09/22/2007
Location: Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center
41 Second St. Cambridge, MA 02141
Time: 8:00 pm
Cost: Regular: $20, CMAC members, students and seniors: $15
Contact: 617.577.1400
Web: www.cmacusa.org
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