Nrityagram Dance Ensemble post-Performance Q&A

Following the performance, join members of Nritygram Dance Ensemble for an open Q&A discussion. In a fascinating cultural dialogue delivered through movement and music, renowned dance company Nrityagram Dance Ensemble collaborates with Chitrasena Dance Company in a thrilling performance of Odissi classical dance from India and traditional Kandyan dance from Sri Lanka. Ahuti explores the differences and similarities that bring the two companies together in rhythm, lyrical interludes, physical expression, vibrant colors, and live music. The work engages in a conversation between the distinct dance traditions and movement vocabularies of each country, in the second cross-cultural collaboration between these two acclaimed companies. Built on the forged bond between Odissi and Kandyan dance through a long association with the Chitrasena Dance Company, Ahuti is an evening-length work that pushes the boundaries of this creative dialogue. Renowned for adapting traditional movements to create dynamic yet harmonious interplay, Nrityagram joins Chitrasena dancers and live musicians. Performed as far back as 200 B.C. as a sacred ritual dedicated to the gods, Odissi speaks of love and union, between human and divine, transporting viewers to enchanting worlds of magic and spirituality. Its lush lyricism reflects both the motifs of Odisha temple sculpture and the poetry from the deep wellsprings of Oriya music. Live music is essential to the work, as well. Skilled performers of percussion, flute, and harmonium drive the rhythms of the dance and accentuate its lyrical nature. Even as dance companies have adopted recorded music over the past decades, Nrityagram considers live music intrinsic to its practice. Saturday, November 12, 2022, 9:00 PM Moss Art Center, Blacksburg, VA Free