Meet LORRY MAY Founder of the ANNA SOKOLOW Dance Foundation

and

Daniel Phoenix Singh, Dakshina’s Artistic Director

RSVP by emailing RSVP@dakshina.org

Dakshina invites you to view an open rehearsal for the staging of Frida, an Anna Sokolow creation dedicated to the Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo. This is a wonderful opportunity to see this iconic dance being restaged and to meet reconstructor Lorry May and Daniel Phoenix Singh, founder and artistic director of Dakshina. Both will be available for discussion.

2010 is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Anna Sokolow, a choreographer who contributed to the world of modern dance for nearly seven decades. Dakshina was one of the first companies to celebrate the legendary Anna Sokolow during this her birth centennial. In January 2010, the company gave a ground-breaking performance in Bangladesh, where we became the first US company to visit since the country’s founding 40 years ago.

Anna Sokolow was known as one of the most dynamic and uncompromising of the modern dance choreographers and has had a profound impact on the course of modern dance throughout the world. The Anna Sokolow Foundation helps to keep her extraordinary legacy and vision alive through reconstruction of her works with contemporary dance companies to present stunning theatrical stagings of the original choreography.

We are privileged to have Lorry May — former principal dancer with Sokolow, founder of the Sokolow Dance Foundation, and assistant to Anna Sokolow — spend a three week residency with the Dakshina Dance Company. The role of Frida was actually created on Lorry May and it is truly an honor to have Lorry restaging the work for Dakshina. Melissa Greco Liu, a Dakshina principal dancer, will be the Frida in our reconstruction. We are delighted to be able to carry forward the wonderful legacy of Anna Sokolow with the widely acclaimed Lorry May.

Dakshina, a DC company committed to both the classical dance forms of Southern India and the contemporary choreography of America, remounts four pivotal Sokolow works — Dreams, Rooms, September Sonnet, and Frida. An Evening of Anna Sokolow will be presented by the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, University of Maryland, on November 4th and 5th 2010.

FREE OPEN REHEARSAL: Staging of Frida

VENUE: Maryland Youth Ballet, 926 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring, MD

DATE: Saturday 28 August

TIME: 4:00 – 5:30

RSVP: rsvp@dakshina.org. While admission is free, we do need to know how many people are coming as the dancers will be in active rehearsal; please specify your preferred date and the number of friends you are bringing.

This is our 6th year of partnership with Alif and we are excited to have her back with us this Fall. Gracious and talented, she serves as a role model and mentor to Daniel.

Alif Laila was born and raised in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Her connection with the arts has been very deep since early childhood. In Dhaka, Bangladesh, she began her initial training in vocal music, and was eventually inspired to learn the Sitar by her mother, Shehida. She was trained on a ‘one to one’ basis in the techniques and compositions of classical music by Ustad Mir Qasem Khan, nephew of Ustad Allauddin Khan, and founder of the Senia Maihar school of music. Alif’s passion for the arts was beyond music alone. She attended the College of Fine Arts in Dhaka where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree and received several awards for her water color paintings. The world of rhythm and tone in drawing and painting gradually merged with her music and her love story with the arts began. She was fortunate to receive guidance from teachers like Partha Chatterjee and Krishna Bhatt and blessings from Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. She has performed extensively in many prestigious venues in Bangladesh, India, Europe and the USA. World renowned Tabla artists like Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, Ustad Taari Khan, and Pandit Yogesh Shamsi have performed and recorded with her. In 2007 her DVD ‘Hrydayaragam’ was presented at The Smithsonian. She has recently released another DVD, ‘Strings of Resonance’ with Anubrata Chatterjee, presenting Indian Classical music as the link to the heritage of the land from the past to the present.

With devotion and dedication Alif embraces the Sitar as the instrument of her soul.

To know more about her and watch her video-clips please visit her website: www.aliflailasitar.com and blog: aliflailasitar.blogspot.com.

FACES: Blessed Unrest, is a presentation by Anita Ratnam of some of the most familiar and loved personae from our cultural tapestry. Portraying varied sentiments, these FACES together traverse a spectrum of emotions, to finally surrender to infinite bliss. She is coming to Washington DC shortly after receiving her Phd in Womens Studies.

Anita Ratnam discusses the inspiration and the process in creating Faces: Blessed Unrest.
Most creations find their inspiration in a fleeting word, image or moment. That is how FACES, too, was born. There are the familiar archetypes, but there is also that blurring of lines between them. “These faces were already there have always been,” says Anita. “But they have been recognized as personalities rather than emotions. So when you look at them just as faces, they become easier to relate to, the emotion becomes personal.”

The use of theatrical stage movement and tools links the faces together, the music stays true to each, and the evening thus becomes an exploration of the range of emotions of which one is capable. “Looking past the aura of these cultural icons and finding the recognizable feelings that drive us all, that connect them to us and each other, that’s what FACES is about.”

What the critics are saying:
Anita Ratnam’s dance finds power in stillness. In an irony of sorts, it was Anita Ratnam’s Contemporary statement “Faces” that stole the thunder in a festival titled Parampara (tradition).
Leela Venkataraman, THE HINDU, Friday Review Delhi, November 7, 2008.

Mallika Sarabhai is a lightning rod in India for taking on works ranging from Peter Brooks’ staging of the Indian epic Mahabharata to Bertolt Brecht’s Indian adaptation of The Good Person of Szechwan. She is an iconic feminist figure who strongly believes that one of the primary functions of Art is to make us take a critical look at the problems in society. Sarabhai uses her varied background from Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi, the folk idioms of India, and her acting skills to create sizzling social commentaries on issues ranging from land rights, the lingering problems of the caste systems, to all the way back to the myths of India that mistreat women and minorities.

In 2010 Sarabhai received the Padma Bhushan from the President of India (second highest civilian award). Her mother Mrinalini Sarabhai, an esteemed danseuse and social justice activist received this award in 1992, and together they are the only mother-daughter pair to have received this prestigious award.

Sarabhai was the founding guest artist for Dakshina’s Fall Festival series, starting the Festival off with her Meera at the Duke Ellington school in 2004. Sarabhai and her full company return to DC with her critically acclaimed production of Sampradayam. Bhajans have always been a mainstay of devotional music in Hinduism and the rousing passion of voices accompanied by nothing but cymbals creates a trance like effect. However, over the last couple of decades bhajans have been influenced by other music traditions like Bollywood and Ghazals, light classical music and western instruments. In a move to counter this and find the real community flavor of Bhajans, there is a strong revival movement in southern India focusing on the essence of the form that is without heavy instrumentation. Watch a clip of the production here.

We will be performing a full evening of Anna Sokolow’s dances, including the company premiere of Sokolow’s Frida. We are very grateful to the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center for presenting Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company as part of their season. Daniel graduated from UMD’s Dance Department in 2004, and was the first Graduate Student to be presented at the Center in 2004. His thesis concert “Songs of My Life” was sold out for every single performance at the center both in its first run at the dance department and in the return engagement when the Clarice Smith Center presented us. It is a wonderful homecoming for the company to be back this year at the center.

Daniel has nurtured a multi-year, multi-project partnership with the Sokolow Dance Foundation and has been working closely with Lorry May, former principal and assistant to Anna Sokolow on this show. Daniel was inspired when he was introduced to Sokolow’s Kaddish (performed by Risa Steinberg) at Dance Place over 14 years ago. He was fascinated with Sokolow’s stark and powerful movement style and resolved then to acquire rights to reconstruct and perform her works. The dream came true almost 10 years later, and the company has been working closely with Lorry May for the past four years to bring you this evening of rarely seen dances by Sokolow such as Frida, September Sonnet, Dreams and Rooms. For tickets and other information, please visit the Center’s website.

DAKSHINA/DANIEL PHOENIX SINGH DANCE COMPANY
Storytelling through Gesture and Movement

Dancer/choreographer Daniel Phoenix Singh leads this workshop on hand gestures and how they are used in Bharata Natyam and Modern dance to convey ideas and emotions.

These techniques are central to Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company’s performances of both the classical dance forms of Eastern India and modern choreography such as Anna Sokolow’s, presented at the Center this season.

This participatory workshop is open to everyone; no movement experience is necessary. More information is available at the Center’s website.

The festival will be held jointly with the bicentenary of the Argentine Independence and this year’s festival will cover the history of the Argentine Tango from its early roots up to the present forms and styles, in which diverse variations of expression coexist.

The festival will offer milongas, practicas every day of the week, the best shows, orchestras, performances and workshops with the most prestigious Argentinean teachers.

More information and program details will be available in August.

Sarah Kaufman selects Dakshina’s Dance Place Show as one of the top picks for Spring

The Washington Post’s chief dance critic Sarah Kaufman selected Dakshina’s Dance Place show as one of the top picks for the Spring. We have the distinct honor of being one of two local companies to make it to this roster that includes internationally known companies. Read Sarah Kaufman’s preview here.

Dakshina is thrilled to be returning to Dance Place for our Spring concert. In keeping with our mission to present a broad array of dance we will be showcasing Anna Sokolow’s pivotal work ROOMS and a several Bharata Natyam dances choreographed by the world renowned Dhananjayans.

Choreographed in 1955, Sokolow premiered Rooms, a powerful portrayal of the terrifying loneliness that afflicts even people living in the closest proximity to each other. Lorry May, former principal with the Sokolow Dance Company will be in residence with us in April restaging this modern dance classic on our company. 2010 is Anna Sokolow’s 100th birth centennial and Dakshina kicked of our partnership with the Sokolow Foundation by performing her signature piece DREAMS in Dhaka, Bangladesh on January 3rd to widespread critical acclaim. We’re excited to present ROOMS at Dance Place, particularly as we consider it our home theater. Dakshina’s reconstruction is made possible by a prestigious American Masterpieces grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Singh was introduced to Sokolow’s work almost 15 years ago when he saw Kaddish performed at Dance Place by Risa Steinberg and he resolved then to find a way to obtain Sokolow’s works for his company. It is a distinct honor for the company to be working with a genius like Lorry May, who is able to bring to life Sokolow’s vision with so much sensitivity and clarity.

Join us for a diverse evening including Bharata Natyam, Fusion and Modern Dance at Dance Place on May 1-2, 2010. Last year’s show was sold out on both nights, so get your tickets early by visiting www.danceplace.org.

Join us for an evening of entrancing music with Alif Laila. This is our 5th year of partnership with Alif and we are excited to have her back with us this Spring. Gracious and talented, she serves as a role model and mentor to Daniel.

Alif Laila was born and raised in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Her connection with the arts was very deep since early childhood. After initial training in vocal music, she was eventually inspired to learn the sitar by her mother, Shehida, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She was trained on a ‘one to one’ basis in the techniques and compositions of the classical music by Ustad Mir Qasem Khan, nephew of Ustad Allauddin Khan, founder of the Senia Maihar school of music. Alif’s passion for the arts was beyond music alone. She attended the College of Fine Arts in Dhaka where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree and received several awards for her water color paintings. The world of rhythm and tone in drawing and painting gradually merged with her music and her love story with the arts began. She was fortunate to receive guidance from teachers like Partha Chatterjee and Krishna Bhatt and blessings from Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. She has performed extensively in many prestigious venues in Bangladesh, India, Europe and the USA. World renowned tabla artists like Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, Ustad Taari Khan, Pandit Yogesh Shamsi have performed and recorded with her. In 2007 her DVD ‘Hrydayaragam’ was presented in The Smithsonian. She has recently released another DVD, ‘Strings of Resonance’ with Anubrata Chatterjee, presenting the Indian Classical music as the link to the heritage of the land of its origins from the past to the present.

With devotion and dedication Alif embraces the Sitar as the instrument of her soul.

To know more about her and watch her video-clips please visit her website: www.aliflailasitar.com and blog: http://aliflailasitar.blogspot.com.

The workshops will take place in Silver Spring MD, with easy access via public transportation, ample public parking and close to several cheap hotels. Details on the fee structure, items etc follow. Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions at all. Looking forward to dancing with you and sharing this rare opportunity to work with a genius.

Yours,
Daniel Phoenix Singh

Click here for the Registration Form if you would like to mail in the check or make a paypal payment here:

Workshop Schedule:
May 28, Friday from 5:00 pm to 10 pm (5 hours)
May 29, Saturday from 12:00 to 5:00 pm (5 hours)
May 30, Sunday from 12:00 to 5:00 pm (5 hours)
May 31, Monday from 12:00 to 5:00 pm (5 hours)
June 01, Tuesday from 5:00 to 10:00 pm (5 hours)

Venue:
Maryland Youth Ballet
926 Ellsworth Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20910-4401
(very close to the Silver Spring metro on the Red line)

Tuition:
Early bird Special, before April 15 — $ 375.00 (Receipt date, NOT postmark date)
Registering between April 16 ‐ May 15 — $ 450.00 (Receipt date, NOT postmark date)
Registering after May 15 — $ 500.00 (Receipt date, NOT postmark date)

Recent press mentions when Srimathi Leela Samson performed in DC:
1) In Dance View Times [George Jackson says, "...she dances a smile as distinctive as any Leonardo da Vinci ever painted...Hers is really a repertory of smiles, from the utterly blissful to one which could kill - she showed it just once in a piece about jealousy. ]

2) In the Washington Jewish Week

Srimathi Leela Samson’s Bio:
Leela Samson is among India’s most dynamic and technically brilliant dancers, an outstanding representative of Kalakshetra, the famed institute for the classical arts founded by the late Rukmini Devi Arundale on the Chennai ocean front. Leela joined Kalakshetra as a young child and her formative years were spent in imbibing the nuances of Bharata Natyam and related arts at the feet of celebrated gurus. Her personal style is unostentatious, serene and characterized by an impeccable technique that blends geometrical precision with vibrancy and an unfettered ease. Her rhythmic acumen is apparent in dance compositions containing varied and challenging percussion patterns.

Among the many honours conferred on her, Leela Samson was awarded the prestigious Padmashri by the President of India in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the art of Bharata Natyam as well as the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award instituted by the apex cultural body of the Government of India. She directs Kalakshetra, the oldest institution of performing arts in India, Chennai, founded by Rukmini Devi Arundale.