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Oct. 19 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble at Campbell Hall

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Sri Lankan company Chitrasena performs with Nrityagram in ?huti, a new work featuring live music

SUMMARY

“So beguiling, you resist blinking in case you miss a moment!” The Herald

SANTA BARBARA —  UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at Campbell Hall. One of the premier Indian dance ensembles performing today, the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble has the unprecedented distinction of making The New York Times’ Best Dance of the Year list two years in a row. More than a dance company, Nrityagram was founded as a Gurukula (school) devoted to Indian dance. The all-female ensemble’s daily life of intensive training and meditation produces captivating performances that are at once sensual and lyrical. For ?huti, men and women of the Sri Lankan company Chitrasena join the women of Nrityagram’s Odissi troupe, comprising a large ensemble of dancers and musicians.

Click on the image to see the trailer for ?huti 

About the Companies

Nrityagram Dance Ensemble

Nrityagram (which means dance village) is located outside Bangalore, India. It was founded in 1990 by Odissi dancer Protima Gauri, who converted ten acres of farmland into a setting for studying, practicing and teaching dance. A village of artists dedicated to practicing and nurturing a 2000-year-old art form, Nrityagram is home to a school inspired by the Gurukula, an ancient teaching paradigm, and the dance ensemble.

The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble is regarded as one of the foremost dance companies of India. Led by Artistic Director Surupa Sen, the company has achieved worldwide critical acclaim, performing globally including an annual tour to the United States.

The ensemble is devoted to bringing Odissi – one of the oldest dance styles in the world – to audiences worldwide. Although steeped in and dedicated to ancient practice, the Ensemble is also committed to carrying Indian dance into the twenty-first century. Enabled by grants from Arts Funding organizations, Nrityagram’s dancers not only explore creative expansions of tradition but are also able to commission fresh compositions from leading Indian classical musicians. They research, innovate, create original work and perform for audiences across the globe. Over two decades, Nrityagram has presented seven full-length ensemble shows: ?r?: In Search of the Goddess (2001), Ansh (2005), Sacred Space (2005), Pratim?: Reflection (2008), ?riya? (2010), Sa?h?ra (2012) and ?huti (2019); two full-length duet shows Sa?yoga(2012) and Songs of Love and Longing (2013) and two full-length solo shows, Yadunandana (2017) and Vinati (2021). All are choreographed by Surupa Sen.

The Chitrasena Dance Company

Founded by Guru Chitrasena with a vision to inspire and exhilarate through the traditional dances and drums of Sri Lanka, the Chitrasena Dance Company has always been at the forefront of transforming the traditional arts landscape of the island. Chitrasena is recognized for rescuing the traditional dances that were confined to village settings and presenting them to audiences in Sri Lanka and across the world. The Company was founded in 1943 and initially nurtured under the creative genius Chitrasena and later together with his wife, Vajira. They worked tirelessly for decades to carefully distill ancient rhythmic rituals by reviving and refining elements of them while staying firmly rooted in the old and developing an authentic dance language.

For over seven decades, the Chitrasena Dance Company has given life to compelling performances ranging from a rich repertoire of dance and drumming pieces to acclaimed original ballets and productions inspired by ancient rituals and contemporary culture. Karadiya (1961), Nala Damayanthi (1963), Nrithanjali (1965), Kinkini Kolama (1978), Shiva Ranga(1984), Chandalika (1996) and Bera-Handa (2001) are some of the most-renowned productions. More recently, the Chitrasena Dance Company has brought to the stage The Art of Chitrasena (2006), Kumbi Kathawa (2007), Dancing for the Gods (2010), Devanjali (2015) and Guru Gedara Festival (2018). The creative partnership with Nrityagram led to the first collaborative production, the critically acclaimed Sa?h?ra (2012), followed by ?huti (2019).

The Chitrasena Dance Company celebrated its 75th year in 2018. The third generation is led by Hesham Wignaraja, Artistic Director and eldest granddaughter of Chitrasena and Vajira, who continues to take forward the legacy of her grandparents. Experimenting without compromise and using traditional dance language and form to push boundaries, the new work offers a fresh perspective while upholding Guru Chitrasena’s philosophy that “the new is but an extension of the old.”

About UCSB Arts & Lectures

Founded in 1959, UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) is the largest and most influential arts and lectures organization between Los Angeles and San Francisco. A&L annually presents more than a hundred public events, from critically acclaimed concerts and dance performances by world-renowned artists to talks by groundbreaking authors and film series at UCSB and Santa Barbara-area venues. With a mission to “educate, entertain and inspire,” A&L also oversees an outreach program that brings visiting artists and speakers into local classrooms and other venues for master classes, open rehearsals, discussions and more, serving K-12 students, college students and the general public.

The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble is presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures in association with the UCSB Department of Theater and Dance and the UCSB MultiCultural Center. Tickets are $30-$45 General Public / $15 UCSB Students (Current Student ID required)(includes facility fee).

For tickets or more information, call UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535 or purchase online at www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu. 

UCSB Arts & Lectures gratefully acknowledges our Community Partners the Natalie Orfalea Foundation & Lou Buglioli for their generous support of the 2022-2023 season.