Mark your calendars for a lecture with Associate Professor Pallabi Chakravorty on Thursday, April 4th, 4:30-5:30PM in the Kohlberg Hall, Scheuer Room!
Pallabi will be speaking about “Lens on Reality: Media, Sensuous Ethnography, and New Dance in India.”
Paul Schmidt’s accurate translation of Chekhov’s THREE SISTERS, rescues a sense of humor often lost in many academic renditions while balancing a respect for the historical context and original social climate of the play.
Richard Hamburger’s modern take on this popular classic brings a new twist to this story about the decline of the privileged class in tumultuous turn of the century Russia. The play’s action brings alive the intimate details and aspirations of a cultured family of three sisters and one brother who move from urban Moscow to a small provincial town and search for meaning in modernity as they struggle with their isolated existence. The meaning of life, of course, never presents itself, and the symbolic representation of their happiness, Moscow, never materializes. Directed by Richard Hamburger with Aaron Matis, Michaela Shuchman, Casey Ferrara, Mark Levine-Weinberg, Madeline Charne, Nathan Siegel, Stefan Tuomanen-Masure, Allison Hrabar, Michelle Johnson, Jack Sailer, Joshua Peck, Isabel Knight, Anushka Mehta, and Tyler Elliott. Set by Matt Saunders, Lighting by James R. Murphy, Sound by Liz Atkinson, and Costumes by Laila Swanson.
Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) grew up in a provincial area of Ukraine Russia and went on to study and practice medicine in Moscow. He began his career as a writer with short and humorous sketches in the Moscow newspaper and in the 1880s became known for his short stories. His first play, The Seagull, was produced at the Moscow Art Theater in 1896 and he went on to much success with Uncle Vanya (1899), Three Sisters (1901) and finally, The Cherry Orchard (1904). He died of tuberculosis at age forty-four.
LPAC Mainstage (Pearson-Hall Theatre)
April 5th at 8PM
April 6th at 2PM and 8PM
April 7th at 2PM
Truly one of the highlights of the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival – the Tamagawa Taiko Drum and Dance group return to Philadelphia for a week of awe-inspiring performances. Ready yourself for thundering drums, intricate dances, beautiful costumes and a whole lot of fun.
Taiko drumming has been a feature of the College’s dance offeringsfor nearly a decade, thanks largely to the efforts of Associate Professor of Dance Kim Arrow . This event showcases the significant relationship between the College and Tamagawa University in Japan. The renowned Tamagawa Taiko Drum and Dance Group return to Philadelphia for a week of performances. Heart-pounding drum rhythms intermingle with elegant dances in breath-taking fashion to create unforgettable memories. Experience the relentless energy and stunning visuals as Tamagawa takes you on a journey through ancient and modern Japan.
Please note: seating is limited and first-come-first-serve.
Free Admission Swarthmore College, Lang Concert Hall
Truly one of the highlights of the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival – the Tamagawa Taiko Drum and Dance group return to Philadelphia for a week of awe-inspiring performances. Ready yourself for thundering drums, intricate dances, beautiful costumes and a whole lot of fun.
Taiko drumming has been a feature of the College’s dance offeringsfor nearly a decade, thanks largely to the efforts of Associate Professor of Dance Kim Arrow . This event showcases the significant relationship between the College and Tamagawa University in Japan. The renowned Tamagawa Taiko Drum and Dance Group return to Philadelphia for a week of performances. Heart-pounding drum rhythms intermingle with elegant dances in breath-taking fashion to create unforgettable memories. Experience the relentless energy and stunning visuals as Tamagawa takes you on a journey through ancient and modern Japan.
Please note: seating is limited and first-come-first-serve.
Free Admission Swarthmore College, Lang Concert Hall
Truly one of the highlights of the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival – the Tamagawa Taiko Drum and Dance group return to Philadelphia for a week of awe-inspiring performances. Ready yourself for thundering drums, intricate dances, beautiful costumes and a whole lot of fun.
Taiko drumming has been a feature of the College’s dance offeringsfor nearly a decade, thanks largely to the efforts of Associate Professor of Dance Kim Arrow . This event showcases the significant relationship between the College and Tamagawa University in Japan. The renowned Tamagawa Taiko Drum and Dance Group return to Philadelphia for a week of performances. Heart-pounding drum rhythms intermingle with elegant dances in breath-taking fashion to create unforgettable memories. Experience the relentless energy and stunning visuals as Tamagawa takes you on a journey through ancient and modern Japan.
Please note: seating is limited and first-come-first-serve.
Free Admission Swarthmore College, Lang Concert Hall
Bryn Mawr College Performing Arts Series Closes 2012-2013 Season with Tour-De-Force Performance by Sheetal Gandhi on March 22
Final performance caps season of virtuosic and adventurous works in the arts
BRYN MAWR, PA – February 27, 2013 – The 2012-2013 season of the Bryn Mawr College Performing Arts Series concludes Friday, March 22 with Bahu-Beti-Biwi, a solo performance by intercultural, multi-disciplinary director, choreographer and performer Sheetal Gandhi. Reviewed as “striking” and “stunning” in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Gandhi incorporates elements of contemporary and traditional dance, dramatic multi-lingual vocalizations and percussive text to comment on the Indian diaspora and the traditional roles of women in India.
In Bahu-Beti-Biwi, which translates to Daughter-in-law, Daughter, Wife, movement and music create the transition between characters inspired by women from Gandhi’s life. The piece is influenced by North Indian musical traditions that are brought into a contemporary context. Humor and tension create a platform for scenes of freedom and compromise, desire and longing, duty and love. Gandhi has performed the work around the globe.
“Bryn Mawr, an all-women’s college, looks forward to presenting Sheetal Gandhi’s important take on the changing roles of women. Gandhi is a mesmerizing performer who both entertains and addresses challenging issues,” says Lisa Kraus, Coordinator of the Bryn Mawr College Performing Arts Series.
Thursday March 21
– 4-5:30 pm Master Class: Sheetal Ghandi (this is the time we traditionally use for this, as a class meets at this hour) – Pem Studio
Contemporary Kathak class which specifically focuses on learning the rhythms and the rhythmic cycles used in North Indian classical music, some technique from this form, and then a short traditional piece. I show them how I translate the piece into a more contemporary language, and they learn this as well. It is a speaking/dancing class. I do this most often with students coming from a dance background. The rhythms can be learned by anyone, but when we get into the real choreography of it, it is better if they have some dance background.
– 7pm Lecture-demonstration Aspects of Ms. Gandhi’s experience moving from traditional forms and developing into a multi-disciplinary artist who works in a variety of theatrical contexts (possibly including screening of video clips).
Friday, March 22
-12-1:30 – Lunch in the Dorothy Vernon Room at Bryn Mawr for students of South Asian Women’s club and anyone interested in an informal meeting and discussion
-8 pm Performance: Bahu Beti Biwi – on McPherson Stage
Saturday March 23
-10:30 -12:00 am Community Class in Bollywood Dance (children and adults) – on McPherson Stage
-12:30 – 2:30 pm Workshop: These Embodied Voices – on McPherson Stage
******
Bryn Mawr’s Campus is located at 101 N. Merion Ave. Tickets to individual events in the Bryn Mawr Performing Arts Series are $20 for general admission, $18 for seniors, $10 for students with ID and Dance Pass holders, and $5 for children under 12. Tickets and more information are available online at brynmawr.edu/arts/series.html or by calling 610-526-5210.
ABOUT SHEETAL GANDHI
Sheetal Gandhi is a veteran performer whose career has spanned genres and disciplines for the last fifteen years. She worked as a creator and performer in Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion, played a leading role in the Broadway production of Bombay Dreams and is featured on the original American cast album of Stephen Schwartz’s Children of Eden. Most recently, Gandhi was the choreographer for Los Angeles based Cornerstone Theater Company’s first-ever musical, Making Paradise: The West Hollywood Musical. Gandhi is a 2011 recipient of the prestigious C.O.L.A. grant, awarded by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and a recent APPEX (Asian Pacific Performance Exchange) fellow, participating in a three week international artistic residency in Bali, Indonesia. Gandhi’s solo and group work has been presented in theaters around the country including REDCAT (Los Angeles), Asia Society (New York), Mu Performing Arts (Minneapolis) and ODC Theater (San Francisco) as well as national and international Festivals including Black Magic Woman Theater Festival (Amsterdam), The National Asian American Theater Festival (New York), Bridges Choreographic Dialogs (Israel), Delhi International Arts Festival (India), Festival of Contemporary Dance (Mexico), and more.
Bryn Mawr College Performing Arts Series Closes 2012-2013 Season with Tour-De-Force Performance by Sheetal Gandhi on March 22
Final performance caps season of virtuosic and adventurous works in the arts
BRYN MAWR, PA – February 27, 2013 – The 2012-2013 season of the Bryn Mawr College Performing Arts Series concludes Friday, March 22 with Bahu-Beti-Biwi, a solo performance by intercultural, multi-disciplinary director, choreographer and performer Sheetal Gandhi. Reviewed as “striking” and “stunning” in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Gandhi incorporates elements of contemporary and traditional dance, dramatic multi-lingual vocalizations and percussive text to comment on the Indian diaspora and the traditional roles of women in India.
In Bahu-Beti-Biwi, which translates to Daughter-in-law, Daughter, Wife, movement and music create the transition between characters inspired by women from Gandhi’s life. The piece is influenced by North Indian musical traditions that are brought into a contemporary context. Humor and tension create a platform for scenes of freedom and compromise, desire and longing, duty and love. Gandhi has performed the work around the globe.
“Bryn Mawr, an all-women’s college, looks forward to presenting Sheetal Gandhi’s important take on the changing roles of women. Gandhi is a mesmerizing performer who both entertains and addresses challenging issues,” says Lisa Kraus, Coordinator of the Bryn Mawr College Performing Arts Series.
Thursday March 21
– 4-5:30 pm Master Class: Sheetal Ghandi (this is the time we traditionally use for this, as a class meets at this hour) – Pem Studio
Contemporary Kathak class which specifically focuses on learning the rhythms and the rhythmic cycles used in North Indian classical music, some technique from this form, and then a short traditional piece. I show them how I translate the piece into a more contemporary language, and they learn this as well. It is a speaking/dancing class. I do this most often with students coming from a dance background. The rhythms can be learned by anyone, but when we get into the real choreography of it, it is better if they have some dance background.
– 7pm Lecture-demonstration Aspects of Ms. Gandhi’s experience moving from traditional forms and developing into a multi-disciplinary artist who works in a variety of theatrical contexts (possibly including screening of video clips).
Friday, March 22
-12-1:30 – Lunch in the Dorothy Vernon Room at Bryn Mawr for students of South Asian Women’s club and anyone interested in an informal meeting and discussion
-8 pm Performance: Bahu Beti Biwi – on McPherson Stage
Saturday March 23
-10:30 -12:00 am Community Class in Bollywood Dance (children and adults) – on McPherson Stage
-12:30 – 2:30 pm Workshop: These Embodied Voices – on McPherson Stage
******
Bryn Mawr’s Campus is located at 101 N. Merion Ave. Tickets to individual events in the Bryn Mawr Performing Arts Series are $20 for general admission, $18 for seniors, $10 for students with ID and Dance Pass holders, and $5 for children under 12. Tickets and more information are available online at brynmawr.edu/arts/series.html or by calling 610-526-5210.
ABOUT SHEETAL GANDHI
Sheetal Gandhi is a veteran performer whose career has spanned genres and disciplines for the last fifteen years. She worked as a creator and performer in Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion, played a leading role in the Broadway production of Bombay Dreams and is featured on the original American cast album of Stephen Schwartz’s Children of Eden. Most recently, Gandhi was the choreographer for Los Angeles based Cornerstone Theater Company’s first-ever musical, Making Paradise: The West Hollywood Musical. Gandhi is a 2011 recipient of the prestigious C.O.L.A. grant, awarded by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and a recent APPEX (Asian Pacific Performance Exchange) fellow, participating in a three week international artistic residency in Bali, Indonesia. Gandhi’s solo and group work has been presented in theaters around the country including REDCAT (Los Angeles), Asia Society (New York), Mu Performing Arts (Minneapolis) and ODC Theater (San Francisco) as well as national and international Festivals including Black Magic Woman Theater Festival (Amsterdam), The National Asian American Theater Festival (New York), Bridges Choreographic Dialogs (Israel), Delhi International Arts Festival (India), Festival of Contemporary Dance (Mexico), and more.
Bryn Mawr College Performing Arts Series Closes 2012-2013 Season with Tour-De-Force Performance by Sheetal Gandhi on March 22
Final performance caps season of virtuosic and adventurous works in the arts
BRYN MAWR, PA – February 27, 2013 – The 2012-2013 season of the Bryn Mawr College Performing Arts Series concludes Friday, March 22 with Bahu-Beti-Biwi, a solo performance by intercultural, multi-disciplinary director, choreographer and performer Sheetal Gandhi. Reviewed as “striking” and “stunning” in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Gandhi incorporates elements of contemporary and traditional dance, dramatic multi-lingual vocalizations and percussive text to comment on the Indian diaspora and the traditional roles of women in India.
In Bahu-Beti-Biwi, which translates to Daughter-in-law, Daughter, Wife, movement and music create the transition between characters inspired by women from Gandhi’s life. The piece is influenced by North Indian musical traditions that are brought into a contemporary context. Humor and tension create a platform for scenes of freedom and compromise, desire and longing, duty and love. Gandhi has performed the work around the globe.
“Bryn Mawr, an all-women’s college, looks forward to presenting Sheetal Gandhi’s important take on the changing roles of women. Gandhi is a mesmerizing performer who both entertains and addresses challenging issues,” says Lisa Kraus, Coordinator of the Bryn Mawr College Performing Arts Series.
Thursday March 21
– 4-5:30 pm Master Class: Sheetal Ghandi (this is the time we traditionally use for this, as a class meets at this hour) – Pem Studio
Contemporary Kathak class which specifically focuses on learning the rhythms and the rhythmic cycles used in North Indian classical music, some technique from this form, and then a short traditional piece. I show them how I translate the piece into a more contemporary language, and they learn this as well. It is a speaking/dancing class. I do this most often with students coming from a dance background. The rhythms can be learned by anyone, but when we get into the real choreography of it, it is better if they have some dance background.
– 7pm Lecture-demonstration Aspects of Ms. Gandhi’s experience moving from traditional forms and developing into a multi-disciplinary artist who works in a variety of theatrical contexts (possibly including screening of video clips).
Friday, March 22
-12-1:30 – Lunch in the Dorothy Vernon Room at Bryn Mawr for students of South Asian Women’s club and anyone interested in an informal meeting and discussion
-8 pm Performance: Bahu Beti Biwi – on McPherson Stage
Saturday March 23
-10:30 -12:00 am Community Class in Bollywood Dance (children and adults) – on McPherson Stage
-12:30 – 2:30 pm Workshop: These Embodied Voices – on McPherson Stage
******
Bryn Mawr’s Campus is located at 101 N. Merion Ave. Tickets to individual events in the Bryn Mawr Performing Arts Series are $20 for general admission, $18 for seniors, $10 for students with ID and Dance Pass holders, and $5 for children under 12. Tickets and more information are available online at brynmawr.edu/arts/series.html or by calling 610-526-5210.
ABOUT SHEETAL GANDHI
Sheetal Gandhi is a veteran performer whose career has spanned genres and disciplines for the last fifteen years. She worked as a creator and performer in Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion, played a leading role in the Broadway production of Bombay Dreams and is featured on the original American cast album of Stephen Schwartz’s Children of Eden. Most recently, Gandhi was the choreographer for Los Angeles based Cornerstone Theater Company’s first-ever musical, Making Paradise: The West Hollywood Musical. Gandhi is a 2011 recipient of the prestigious C.O.L.A. grant, awarded by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and a recent APPEX (Asian Pacific Performance Exchange) fellow, participating in a three week international artistic residency in Bali, Indonesia. Gandhi’s solo and group work has been presented in theaters around the country including REDCAT (Los Angeles), Asia Society (New York), Mu Performing Arts (Minneapolis) and ODC Theater (San Francisco) as well as national and international Festivals including Black Magic Woman Theater Festival (Amsterdam), The National Asian American Theater Festival (New York), Bridges Choreographic Dialogs (Israel), Delhi International Arts Festival (India), Festival of Contemporary Dance (Mexico), and more.
The School of Media, Communication and Culture at Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India is inviting papers for a two-day symposium titled Dance Matters II: Frontiers of Performance Research. The symposium will take place on July 19 and 20, 2013, at Jadavpur University. Selected papers from the symposium will be published in a book. Jadavpur University will provide local hospitality for the speakers at the university guesthouse. The event is sponsored by UGC University with Potential for Excellence Programme: Studies in Cultural Processes.
Cultures are dynamic. So the question arises: What should be preserved? How do we know what is worth preserving? This conference will interrogate these fundamental issues with a focus on dance. India, now synonymous with change, was not long ago identified with age-old traditions and socio-economic stagnation. In this fervor for newness and change the culture of dance and performance is experiencing a vibrant revitalization. There is greater awareness of and exposure to dance through new media and the circulation of new and traditional dances from live performances to Bollywood, music videos, youtube and staged performances, as well as through the interconnected networks of artists, presenters, and consumers. These conditions have increased the visibility of Indian dance in global culture. As established categories of high, low, classical, folk, contemporary, and commercial dissolve under the democratizing forces of markets and modernity, questions surrounding cultural preservation, heritage, innovation, and authenticity surface as urgent issues of the twenty first century. Art, culture, and history (despite contestations) connect communities to their past and help them to forge collective identities. But the rapid pace of culture change has negatively impacted some of the more enduring aspects of India’s performance traditions. Moreover, the Indian state’s lethargic attitude to cultural institutions and cultural policy continues to maintain the same bureaucratic power structures. As old buildings are demolished for new shopping malls, Bollywood item numbers crowd out every aspect of media and culture, and dance/art instrumentally connect to some politically correct social agenda, there is need to rethink and re-frame the place of dance and culture in the new Indian modernity. How can we re-imagine and renegotiate the old categories of performance research and infuse them with critique and analytical insight.
Dance and performance research have grown as an important interdisciplinary field of academic study in the past few decades. Interestingly, questions on modernity and subjectivities in the humanities and social sciences in recent years have shifted from the predominance of text and textual theories to questions of the body, senses, emotion/affect, and visual culture. Dance scholarship has much to research in these arenas. The recent scholarship on Indian dance has looked at dance in the context of postcolonial modernity, invention of tradition, national identity, critical history, subaltern historiography, diasporic identity, and gender and politics. Our previous conference titled “Dance Matters” and the anthology by the same name explored some of these key issues surrounding Indian dance and culture with an agenda of democratizing the inherent hierarchy and elitism associated with Indian dance both in theory and practice. This conference will build on the previous attempt at expanding the notion of performance research and deepen its scope by placing Indian dance at the frontlines of intellectual debates on culture, identity, and sociopolitical change as India plunges deeper into the messiness of markets and modernity. Some of the areas that may be explored are:
Please send a brief abstract (350 words) including a title, name, address, email, phone number and institutional affiliation by March 30, 2013. Submit abstracts and direct queries to:
Dr. Nilanjana Gupta, Coordinator,
School of Media Communication and Culture
Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India 700032
Email: nilaguptaju_at_yahoo.com
Dr. Pallabi Chakravorty
Department of Music and Dance
Swarthmore College, Pa 19096, U.S.A
Email: pchakra1_at_swarthmore.edu