Nrityagram Dance Ensemble at Weis Center
By: Jayne Ann Bugda
Updated: February 16, 2013
Lewisburg, Union County-The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble will perform on Friday, March 1, at 8 p.m., at the Weis Center for the Performing Arts at Bucknell University. The event is sponsored, in part, by Gary and Sandy Sojka.
The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble is regarded worldwide as one of the
foremost dance companies of India. The ensemble has earned national and
international acclaim for its ability to redefine both dance and theatre, to
create and communicate with powerful imagery and captivating dance.
Kathryn Maguet, executive director of the Weis Center, says, "This exquisite
company performs with exceptional synchronicity, compelling physicality and
emotional honesty. This overwhelmingly beautiful program will leave audiences in
awe of the dancers' powerful imagery and captivating movement."
At Nrityagram dance village, dance is a way of life. The founder, Protima
Gauri, converted 10 acres of farmland into an ideal setting for the study,
practice and teaching of classical Indian dance. It is a creative space where
dancers, musicians and choreographers live together, sharing their skills and
developing their art. The Indian dance group incorporates mythology and the
epics, Sanskrit, yoga, meditation and the martial arts, while also carrying
Indian dance into the 21st century.
The outside world also is an integral part of Nrityagram. Choreographers,
movement specialists, sculptors, painters, writers, musicians and theatre people
from all over the world frequently visit the village to perform and give
workshops and seminars on their art.
Since 1996, the year of their life-changing New York debut, they have toured
the U.S. annually. They have performed at sold-out shows from New York to Hawaii
and Bozeman, Mont., to Key West, Fla. In addition, the Ensemble has performed in
Denmark, Holland, Portugal, the Middle East, Singapore, Japan, and many other
countries.
The New York Times says of their ensemble, "One of the most luminous
dance events of the year! In addition to impressive technical expertise, they
performed with a burnished grace, a selfless concentration and a depth that
reflected their intensive training in dance, music, literature, language and
philosophy."
Tickets for the performance are $20 for adults, $16 for seniors ages 62+ and
$10 for children under 18. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.bucknell.edu/BoxOffice, in person at any Box Office
location, or by calling the Campus Box Office at 570-577-1000.
The next event in the Weis Center's series is Circa on March 28. Based in
Australia, Circa is redefining the circus artform with startlingly re-imagined
circus skills. Their performances embrace improvisation, multimedia and
collaboration, and are infused with an immersive use of light and sound. For 65
intense minutes, the performers move from highly connected acrobatic and
tumbling sequences, through fast-paced intricate scenes. Tickets can be
purchased at http://www.bucknell.edu/BoxOffice or by calling
570-577-1000.
For more information about this event, contact Lisa Leighton, marketing and
outreach coordinator, at 570-577-3727 or by e-mail at lisa.leighton@bucknell.edu.
(from Bucknell University: Kathryn Kopchik)
