In
a dynamic fusion of the ancient and contemporary, Tara
Ahmed presents Lasandhi; a program of classical
Indian dance and neo-classical choreography inspired by
Indian women's poetry.
In the first act, the dancers perform classical pieces
on the goddesses and heroines of Hinduism, depicting the
popular images of India and its celestial women. In the
second act, they present a contemporary piece exploring
writings of Indian women from varied religions and backgrounds.
This piece is set to live music with Indian women's poetry
woven into the program, exploring the nine emotions in
Indian drama. The narrative depicts a diverse group of
women in India and the diaspora, from the 16th century
through today.
Each piece incorporates different social issues, dance
dynamics and musical compositions. The dancers use their
foundation in classical Indian dance while drawing on
other movement forms which inform them: Taiko drumming,
West African dance, modern dance and Kalaripayat.
Lasandhi is:
Tara Ahmed - director, dancer
Elaine Fong - taiko drum
Durga Krishnan - veena
Suresh Mathur - flute
Ioannis Moutsakis - percussion
Ramani Sripada-Vaz - narrator
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"..wit,
grace and raw power...it was Indian-inspired dance and
the driving drum music from the Boston group Lasandhi
that blew everyone away."
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| Providence
Journal |
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"The
clincher for the evening was at the very end when Tara
Ahmed's Lasandhi erupted onto the stage. Dancers became
musicians, musicians became dancers, feet slapped the
floor, drums pounded, classical Indian movement was
asked to become something else to which it responded
beautifully..."
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| Dance
Company News |
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