National Bird of India Serves as Inspiration for
Original Classical
Dance Production Featuring Art of Bharatanatyam
Indian classical dancer Sonali Skandan, along with her company Jiva Dance, unveil “Mayura: Blue Peacock,” an evening-length, Bharatanatyam classical dance production, with original music and choreography, focused on India’s national bird, the rare and beautiful peacock.
“Mayura is the Sanskrit word for peacock,” says Skandan, “and throughout history, this magical creature has been featured in poetry, literature, sculpture, art, music, dance and mythology. We wanted to pay homage to its beauty, grace and regal nature through our movement, music and choreography.”
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| Photo by Mariliana Arvelo |
The performance uses classical poetry and literature to weave vivid images of the peacock described in Indian myths and legends – from the powerful, ancient Mayil Virutham, which praises the peacock as Lord Muruga’s vehicle, to the lilting epics of Kalidasa describing the peacock in the rains, as a reminder of Ram’s longing for Sita, to the love songs of Andal and Mirabhai.
The original musical score has been composed by one of India’s renowned composers, Rajkumar Bharathi, and features original choreography by Skandan. The cast comprises of six talented and energetic dancers from various backgrounds and disciplines.
“Mayura: Blue Peacock” will be performed on the evenings of Sept. 18th, 19th and 20th at the Chen Dance Center, 70 Mulberry Street, NYC. Ticket prices range from $18 to $22 and can be purchased by visiting www.mayura.eventbrite.com.
About Sonali Skandan & Jiva Dance:
Jiva Dance is the critically-acclaimed dance company of Jiva Performing Arts, an organization based in NYC, which seeks to educate and present the classical music and dance of India. Jiva Dance began in 2008 under the artistic direction of Sonali Skandan. The company sees the importance of preserving and promoting the traditional arts, yet also understands the need to incorporate innovative techniques to reach diverse audiences. Jiva Dance holds the belief that tradition is a continuum of evolution and hopes to invigorate classical works with a fresh and unique voice. They company has performed at various universities, colleges and festivals along the East Coast to tremendous audience and media acclaim. For more information, please visit www.jivaperformingarts.org or www.sonaliskandan.com.
Mayura is made possible, in part, by public donations from the Fund
for Creative Communities, supported by New York State Council on
the Arts and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.
