Bhoomija presents the World Premiere

Nrityagram, Bangalore's crown jewel of Arts, is reviving its masterpiece "Samhara", which is a collaboration with the Sri Lankan Chitrasena Dance Company. The world premiere of the revival is being presented by Bhoomija at 8 PM, Fri, May 19, in Chowdiah Memorial Hall. Donor passes priced Rs. 300 are available on bookmyshow.com. The Artistic Director, Choreographer and Sound Designer of "Samhara" is Surupa Sen, one of India's most celebrated dancers. The original score for the piece is composed by Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi and is rendered live. The delightful lighting for the show is designed by Lynne Fernandez. “Samhara” is a collaboration between Nrityagram and the Sri Lankan Chitrasena Dance Company. Choreographed by Surupa Sen, Nrityagram’s Artistic Director and a front-ranking Odissi dancer, “Samhara” has been performed around the world. Sen’s vibrant and immaculate choreography has come in for particular praise everywhere and has even won a nomination for the Bessi Awards, considered the Oscars of the dance world. The skillful merging of two very different and vibrant forms is harmonious and at times piquant, taking Sen’s choreography to heights hitherto not scaled in Indian dance. An enthralling live orchestra composed by Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi accompanies the dancers. A uniquely played Kandyan drum adds to the charm. Lynne Fernandez is the Lighting Designer, Technical Director and Executive Producer of Samhara. “The idea of a cross-cultural collaboration sprang from a study of the Natya Shastra”, says a release from Nrityagram. “Sometimes referred to as the fifth veda, the Natya Shastra is said to belong to Jambudwipa and ancient Puranic geography tells us that Jambudwipa refers to Eurasia. With this sacred geography, the cultural unity of the whole region was a compelling idea. Working from the premise that the Natya Shastra is the root of all dance traditions in Jambudwipa, we began finding a vocabulary of dance using the performance practice of India and Sri Lanka. At the end of the four year collaboration with the Chitrasenas, it felt as if the Indian Ocean never separated us!” The distinguished dancers of the troupe are: Surupa Sen, Bijayini Satpathy, Pavithra Reddy, Thaji Dias, Sandani Sulochani, Akshiti Roychowdhury, and Urmila Mallick. The rich live orchestra is brought up by Jateen Sahu, Rohan Dahale, Sanjib Kunda, Parshuram Das and Waruna Sri Hemachandra. Surupa Sen and Bijayini Satpathy also recite the Manjira. The off-stage narrations (in English) are by Surupa Sen. "Samhara" was nominated for the Bessie awards (the Oscars of dance) when it debuted in New York a couple of years ago. The show has travelled the world and after the world premiere in Bangalore for Bhoomija, it is scheduled perform in some important world festivals.