Nov 16 2024 to Nov 16 2024 7 p.m.

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

Mandala, is a journey through the themes of Shringara (love), Viraha (separation), Maya (illusion), and Aikya (dissolution). It is a dialogue between the dancer and the singer, using poetry from saint poets of India, including Kabir, Annamacharya, Kshettraya and Kanakadasa.

A recurring message of all saint-poets across time, is the reminder that enjoyment, pain, delight, struggle are all fleeting- this too shall pass. They remind us to savour the world, be fully present in it, while simultaneously remembering that nothing is permanent. How does one save oneself from the web of Maya- the entrapment of the illusion? The saints offer an answer to this as well. Bhakti- devotion.

And where is the divine in whom we must have faith? In the mosques? In the temples? East? Or West? The divine is within each of us.

It is a poetic journey that traces the path from the outer circle of love to separation, to disillusionment, to the ultimate realization that we are one at the core.

Artistes
Amrita Lahiri
Kuchipudi Dancer

Amrita Lahiri specialises in the art form Kuchipudi, the classical dance of Andhra Pradesh in southern India. Her performances have been acclaimed for their elegance and dynamism, combined with a refined approach. She has had rigorous training in dance from such gurus as Leela Samson, Swapnasundari, Vempati Chinna Satyam, Anuradha Nehru and Jaikishore Mosalikanti. She presents Kuchipudi from its traditional origins to its contemporary forms.

Amrita’s choreographies and productions have been received enthusiastically at venues such as the Esplanade in Singapore, ‘Dancing the Gods’ in New York, the Music Academy, Chennai, and many more. She has toured as a soloist in India, USA, Switzerland, South Korea, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Amrita has worked for leading arts organizations such as the British Council, New Delhi; Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C.; Museum Rietberg, Zurich; and Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS Singapore). She was the head of the dance department of National Centre for Performing Arts, Mumbai (NCPA) from 2010 to 2013, and of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) from 2019-2024, where she curated and managed over 300 dance performances, workshops and master classes, developing enthusiastic new audiences for dance.
Chandana Bala Kalyan
Carnatic Vocalist

Chandana Bala Kalyan is a Carnatic Classical and a Contemporary Vocalist from India. She is an A graded artist for A.I.R Bangalore, A Ted X speaker, playback singer, composer and producer for her own projects and dance productions and also an educator in the field of Carnatic Classical Vocal Music. She is known for her incredible ability to traverse effortlessly through various genres of classical, light classical and folk music which is showcased in her project ‘MARMA’. Recipient of  many awards including the M.S Subbalakshmi Award, she has collaborated with Sri Trilok Gurtu, Sri Ranjit Barot, Sanjay Divecha , Taufiq Qureshi and many others
Leela Samson
Director & Choreographer

Leela Samson is a renowned Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, instructor, and writer from India. As a soloist, she is known for her technical virtuosity and has taught Bharatanatyam at Shriram Bhartiya Kala Kendra and Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Delhi for many years, and has taught Bharatanatyam across the world, including at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, and the annual Milapfest at Manchester.

Over the years she has performed across India, Europe, Africa and the Americas. She was appointed as the chairperson of the Sangeet Natak Akademi in August 2010, and has received numerous awards including the Padma Shri (1990), the Sanskriti, Nritya Choodamani, Kalaimamani (2005) given by Government of Tamil Nadu, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1999 & 2000) for contributions to Bharatanatyam