By PREM SOURI KISHORE
LOS ANGELES, CA - 2015 marks the 30th anniversary of the SoCal based Rangoli Dance Foundation for Art and Culture, founded by Malathi Iyengar. Celebrating the occasion, at the Barnsdall Gallery Theater here, the Company presented in a profound visual style- “Sacred Geometry”. Iyengar director, choreographer and...
LOS ANGELES, CA - 2015 marks the 30th anniversary of the SoCal based Rangoli Dance Foundation for Art and Culture, founded by Malathi Iyengar. Celebrating the occasion, at the Barnsdall Gallery Theater here, the Company presented in a profound visual style- “Sacred Geometry”. Iyengar director, choreographer and...
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artiste explained. “Geometric figures and shapes exhibit multiplicity and diversity. The shapes and mandalas are familiar and pervasive images throughout the history of visual and performing arts.” The bare stage was defined by the distinguishing piece of work-Navagraha, the nine planets symbolized by ancient nine sacred grains from which we draw strength. Suresh Iyengar always infuses his work with a reimagined sensibility, and aesthetic passion.
Opening the evening’s performance, Iyengar recognized for her daring programming danced with exuberance, invoking Lord Shiva. Crisp, focused, energetic, she set the tone for the rest of the evening. The recital’s dancers represented the essential structure of the Universe, the beauty of creation, the Navagraha, the myriad divinities and the human being. Geometric figures, shapes, multiplicity defined a surprising unity in the freely inspired pieces. An abstracted ambiguity came alive, as the dancers played out permutations distilling and creating a vital contemporary work. The production a challenge surrounded and embraced the viewer with driving beats, symmetry, a deep consciousness, awareness, and the mystery of Sacred Geometry
Choreography was mathematical and filled with symbolism and purpose extending into time and place, as evoked by the positioning of the dancers as they struck classical iconographic postures of Indian classical dance representing the powers of deities.While ragas, rhythms and musical traditions was the guiding force, the dancers stunned the audience with their technique, yogic stances, symbolic of the particular significance of the ‘sacred.” While Alarippu invoked the cosmic energy through the geometrical lines and forces of the body , Tillana the dance of celebration was a dramatic salutation to Surya the Sun.
In an arresting piece, the innovative dancer from Puerto Rico , Dorcas Roman, artistic director of DRDT(Dorcas Roman Dancetheater) danced Aalap, the expansion -a perfect narrative of the birth of creation.
The program concluded with a zesty, epilogue. The Circle Of Life choreographed by Murali Mohan Kalvakala .
A superb finesse marks the work of lighting designer Eileen Cooley. In Sacred Geometry, she alternated shadow, darkness and brilliant light with deftness. enhancing form, movement, space and time. The music compositions of the expressive Rajkumar Bharathi and C Gurumurthy ranged from timeless spiritual ragas captured in its purest form to finger snapping syncopation. Dancer Lakshmi Iyengar, who is also a costume designer brought flair and stark simplicity to the production making the dancers glow with brilliant colorful fabrics and no distracting ornamentation. The project was supported in part by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and the Department of Cultural Affairs Los Angeles.
Opening the evening’s performance, Iyengar recognized for her daring programming danced with exuberance, invoking Lord Shiva. Crisp, focused, energetic, she set the tone for the rest of the evening. The recital’s dancers represented the essential structure of the Universe, the beauty of creation, the Navagraha, the myriad divinities and the human being. Geometric figures, shapes, multiplicity defined a surprising unity in the freely inspired pieces. An abstracted ambiguity came alive, as the dancers played out permutations distilling and creating a vital contemporary work. The production a challenge surrounded and embraced the viewer with driving beats, symmetry, a deep consciousness, awareness, and the mystery of Sacred Geometry
Choreography was mathematical and filled with symbolism and purpose extending into time and place, as evoked by the positioning of the dancers as they struck classical iconographic postures of Indian classical dance representing the powers of deities.While ragas, rhythms and musical traditions was the guiding force, the dancers stunned the audience with their technique, yogic stances, symbolic of the particular significance of the ‘sacred.” While Alarippu invoked the cosmic energy through the geometrical lines and forces of the body , Tillana the dance of celebration was a dramatic salutation to Surya the Sun.
In an arresting piece, the innovative dancer from Puerto Rico , Dorcas Roman, artistic director of DRDT(Dorcas Roman Dancetheater) danced Aalap, the expansion -a perfect narrative of the birth of creation.
The program concluded with a zesty, epilogue. The Circle Of Life choreographed by Murali Mohan Kalvakala .
A superb finesse marks the work of lighting designer Eileen Cooley. In Sacred Geometry, she alternated shadow, darkness and brilliant light with deftness. enhancing form, movement, space and time. The music compositions of the expressive Rajkumar Bharathi and C Gurumurthy ranged from timeless spiritual ragas captured in its purest form to finger snapping syncopation. Dancer Lakshmi Iyengar, who is also a costume designer brought flair and stark simplicity to the production making the dancers glow with brilliant colorful fabrics and no distracting ornamentation. The project was supported in part by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and the Department of Cultural Affairs Los Angeles.
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