Soorya Singapore
presents
“Tales from the Bull and the Tiger” – A unique retelling of the stories of Shiva & Shakti by their vahanas, Nandi and Simha (the vehicles of Shiva & Parvati)
This is a critically acclaimed choreographic masterpiece by the celebrated dance maestro Padmashree Ananda Shankar Jayant and group of 16 dancers from India.
“Ananda Shankar regales rasikas with enchanting tales of bull ..” (Times of India)
“From the word go it was a nonstop racy production which kept the audience in thrall. One could see the determination on Ananda’s part to culminate her artistic gifts with a riveting production ….” (Padmashri Sunil Kothari, the (late) celebrated dance critic)
Event also features a painting exhibition of original works by visual artists of Singapore at the auditorium foyer.
6 Jul 2024, 7.00pm | PGP Hall Auditorium
SooryaSG Festival 2024
Soorya Singapore Festival of Classical Dance & Music 2024 – “Tales from the Bull and the Tiger”
A unique retelling of the stories of Shiva & Shakti by their vahanas, Nandi and Simha (the vehicles of Shiva & Parvati)
Event Overview
The 2024 SooryaSG Festival event was a mega dance production of 16 dancers in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi styles pf Indian classical dance, conceptualised, choreographed and directed by the celebrated dance maestro Padmashri Dr Ananada Shankar Jayant. The production tells the stories of Lord Mahadeva Shiva and His consort Shakti (Devi Parvati) through the eyes of their vahanas (vehicles), Nandi (Bull) and Simha (Tiger). This event will be a magical expression of classical performing arts and an enriching experience of the magic of Indian classical arts which has mesmerised the Indian psyche over thousands of years. Audience will be entranced and enraptured by the magic of classical dance and music styles.
The dance drama presents various episodes selected from various scriptural sources like Shiva Purana, Linga Purana, Lalita Sahsranamam, Tirupugazh, Shankaracharya’s Ardhanarishvara stotram and Soundarya Lahari, Tevaram, Nataraja Stotram of Patanjali, Shiva Tandava stotram, Nataraja Dasakam, Ganesha Swapna Geetham, Kalidasa’s Kumarasambhava etc. Music is based on selection of Kritis from Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar, Muthu Tandavar, Papanasam Sivam, Andavan Pichai, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Madurai Muralidharan, Rallabandi Kavitha Prasad etc.
Stories like the divinity of Mother Parvati and her image of Shakti full of power and energy, adorned with divine ornaments and also weapons with which she annihilates the demons, that of the immeasurable form of Shiva’s manifestation as Akasha Lingam, in the contest and rivalry between Lord Vishnu and Brahma where each tries to be the first to fathom the end of the form of Lord Shiva, from the top and bottom, which ends up unsuccessful for both the great Gods, indicating the Supreme nature of Mahadeva Shiva and many many more stories are attractively presented on stage.
Genre: Indian Classical Music and Dance (Bharatanatyam and Kuchupudi)
Dance: Dance maestro Padmashri Dr Ananada Shankar Jayant and her team of 16 artists from India.
Date & Time: Sat, 06 Jul 2024, 7.00 pm
Venue: PGP Hall, Level 2 auditorium (397 Serangoon Rd)
Event also featured a painting exhibition of original works by local Singaporean visual artists (in the auditorium foyer).
Major Artist
Padmashri Dr Ananada Shankar Jayant
Celebrated as one of India’s most eminent and renowned classical dancer, choreographer and dance scholar, Ananda’s artistic body of work spans mythologies and abstraction, historical chronicles and women studies, poetry and abstraction, philosophy and humour. As the Artistic Director of “Shankarananda Kalakshetra”, the school of Dance setup by her, Ananda leads an acclaimed ensemble, besides training and presenting the next generation of Bharatanatyam artists. Ananda has polished her art to a fine pitch, where, the rigor of her training meets a finely tuned intellect that effortlessly bridges traditional structures with contemporary realities. Imprinting her own vision of joy, beauty, values, myths, spirituality, and life experiences, to an impeccable training, Ananda’s life in dance has seen her transcend the physical, and lead her audience on a spiritual and ethereal journey. With an acclaimed and deep body of work that spans rich mythologies, historical chronicles, searing commentaries on topical issues, philosophical enquiry, poetry, story telling, and humour, Ananda, constantly stretches the boundaries of artistic endeavour, using the grammar and idiom of the Indian classical dance format, making her choreographic presentations at once rooted in the authentic traditions of dance and spirituality, while retaining the contemporary ethos and relevance.
Ananada Shankar started learning classical dance at the tender age of 4 under Sharada Keshava Rao and later from K N Pakkiriswamy Pillai. In 1972, at the age of 11, she joined Kalakshetra of Rukmini Devi Arundale where she trained in Bharatanatyam under teachers such as Padma Balagopal, Sharada Hoffman and Krishnaveni Laxman. After six years of study, she secured her diploma and post graduate diploma from the institution in disciplines of Bharatanatyam, Carnatic music, veena, dance theory and philosophy. She also learned Kuchipudi under Pasumarthy Ramalinga Shastry.
Awards & Accomplishments:
One of India’s highest civilian awards, Padma Shri, awarded to her by the President of India for distinguished services in Art – dance. (2007)
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar – Award from India’s apex performing arts cultural body) for Bharatanatyam (2009)
Devi Award for women for exceptional dynamism and innovation, instituted by The New Indian Express newspaper group (2015) .
Kalamamani Award by the Government of Tamil Nadu (2002).
Titles:
“Natya Illavarasi” from Sree Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Sabha, New Delhi (2004);
“Nritya Choodamani” by Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai (2006);
“Nritya Kalasagara” from Kalasagaram, Secunderabad (2007);
“Natya Kalasagar” from Visakha Music Academy (2010);
“Nritya Saraswati” of Alliance University, Bengaluru (2015).
Kala Ratna award by the Government of Andhra Pradesh,
Ugadi Day honors (2008).
Guru Debaprasad Award of Tridhara, for Kuchipudi (2015).
Apart form her main passion of dance, Ananda is a sought after motivational speaker and actively engages with young India on a wide range of topics, at leading corporate entities, leadership programs, hospitals, universities and schools. A TED speaker in 2009, her TED talk after her tryst with Cancer has been ranked as one of 12 Incredible TED talks on the subject. In January 2015, the Huffington Post ranked Ananda’s TED talk, as one of five greatest TED talks by Indians. Dr Ananda is also a bureaucrat of the Indian Railway Traffic Service.