PLAINSBORO, NJ: West Windsor Arts Center Presents "Transgressing Powers" by Dr. Maya Kulkarni & Dancers
Company:
Dr. Maya Kulkarni and collaborators
Renowned choreographer, dancer, and creator of the unique Shilpanatanam dance style, Dr. Maya Kulkarni, will present two of her works in collaboration with dancers, Bharathi Penneswaran of New York City, and Ramya Shankaran of Plainsboro, NJ, on Saturday, October 19, 2024, 6:00-7:30 pm at the West Windsor Arts Center. Tickets are $35 or $30 for Members (Stadium seating. First come first basis. Please contact us for accessible seating).
Transgressing Powers will explore the philosophy (tantric) of movement, celebrating the continuous pulsating universe in the form of the feminine divine. Using a lecture presentation style, Dr. Kulkarni will explain the ideas used in Shilpanatanam, from the emergence of the breath from the center of the dancer’s body to permeate all movement, expressing ‘spanda’ or constant movement of the divine feminine energy as the center of all creation. The dances will bring together the philosophy, movement and the meaning.
Shilpanatanam departs from the structures of classical dance technique and conventional dramaturgy and creates a new language that sidesteps the traditional focus of Indian classical dance on devotional poetics. Instead, it taps into the wider world of literature and poetry, bringing static images to life with movement and narratives. In it, stories become dancing metaphors about human conditions; they enjoin the past to the present.
This is a rare opportunity for dance enthusiasts of both Indian and Western forms and yoga practitioners to understand how differently the dancer moves in the Shilpanatanam style, from the standard dance form.
Dr. Maya Kulkarni, a dancer, choreographer, teacher, and commentator, is a highly respected and well-known figure in the Indian dance world with an extensive repertoire deeply rooted in the classical dance genre. Praised for her flawless technique and story-telling abilities and hailed as the “Dancer’s Dancer”, Dr. Kulkarni has performed and composed several pieces presented extensively in the US, Europe, and India. More on Maya Kulkarni here
Bharathi Penneswaram is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Aalokam. Penneswaran is an accomplished dancer and choreographer, based in New York City. She specializes in ShilpaNatanam and imbues traditional Indian dance with a boldly energetic perspective. Aalokam productions meld traditional and contemporary themes to create a unique set of works that combine music, movement, acting, and storytelling.
Ramya Shankaran’s passion for dance extends into continually deepening her understanding of Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam and Yoga. Acknowledged for her contributions to scholarly work in Bharatanatyam and as a dancer, Sankaran is the founder director of Adhyaathma LLC, in Plainsboro, NJ, nurturing young dancers in the forms of Mohiniattam and Bharatanatyam.
Share Your Audience Review. Your Words Are Valuable to Dance.
Are you going to see this show, or have you seen it? Share "your" review here on The Dance Enthusiast. Your words are valuable. They help artists, educate audiences, and support the dance field in general. There is no need to be a professional critic. Just click through to our Audience Review Section and you will have the option to write free-form, or answer our helpful Enthusiast Review Questionnaire, or if you feel creative, even write a haiku review. So join the conversation.
