Rebecca Goering
Associate Director of Marketing & Communications
rgoering@ac.upenn.edu
Classical Indian dancer Rama Vaidyanathan to kick off the Annenberg Center’s 12/13 Asian Roots series
October 4, 2012(Philadelphia, October 4, 2012)—The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts kicks off its acclaimed Asian Roots series with one of the world’s leading classical dancers straight from India, Rama Vaidyanathan. Vaidyanathan is one of the principal interpreters in the ancient Indian dance form of Bharata Natyam, which combines complex footwork, abstract movements and elaborate mime. This performance will take place on Saturday, November 3 at 8 PM. Tickets are $20-$45 (prices are subject to change). For tickets or for more information, please visit AnnenbergCenter.org or call 215.898.3900. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Annenberg Center Box Office.
With “fire power and ebullience, athleticism and rhythmic prowess” (The Hindu), Vaidyanathan’s energetic performance combines exhilarating choreography with the accompanying sounds of live musicians. Led by conductor (“nattuvangam”) Kameswaran Sivakumar, the performance will feature stunning background vocals, the soothing sounds of the violin and percussion from the Indian mridangam.
Renowned as the “thinking dancer,” Vaidyanathan’s distinct performance style blends together tradition and her own unique take on the art of dance. With her extensive experience, Vaidyanathan has mastered the classical dance form of Bharata Natyam, which has been performed in the temples and courts of southern India for centuries. As The New York Times boasts of Vaidyanathan, “The slap of her bare foot on the ground always made a full impact…Her execution was so clear that the fascinations of the Bharatanatyam genre itself were objectively evident.”
A seasoned veteran with “divinity in the flick of a toe” (The Financial Times), Vaidyanathan brings 20 years of expert dance experience to the Annenberg stage. Vaidyanathan’s past performances include an engagement at The World Sanskrit Conference, special charity performances for The Cancer Society and The Red Cross Society as well as an appearance at the opening of the Indian Film Festival in Madrid, Spain in May 2006.
INSIGHTS
Audience members can stay after for a post-show chat with Rama Vaidyanathan hosted by Raji Venkatesan of Sruti, the India Music and Dance Society of Philadelphia.
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