By Shanti Ramrattan (Company Dancer) It’s been a year-and-a-half journey for me as a performer with the Nava Dance Theatre, and every moment thus far has been an event-filled dancer’s dream. In-depth rehearsals, constantly evolving items, the birth of new characters, re-envisioned music…and a company of the most dedicated, talented artists committed to showing up […]
By Sophia Valath (co-Artistic Director) I have had a few experiences in my life where I didn’t quite know what I was getting into when I signed up for it…the kind of decisions that you make almost on a whim. The ones you say ‘yes’ to not because you’ve necessarily thought it through, but because […]
We are back! I am so thrilled that Nava Dance Theatre is going to present The Cloud Messenger at CounterPULSE this year through year 2 of the Performing Diaspora residency program. The evening length version of The Cloud Messenger, to be premiered September 11th-14th at CounterPULSE (1310 Mission St) will feature new original musical score, […]
The Piece “The Cloud Messenger” is a Bharatanatyam piece is about a yaksha (or demi-god) who is exiled and separated from his beloved. When he feels like all hope is lost, he finds solace in a young raincloud and tries hard to convince her to embark on a difficult journey, to ultimately take a message […]
When I dance… Nadhi: “I can feel a deep love for God and an emotional connection to human-kind. Particularly when I perform, that connection can be so strong, that I forget where I am and who is watching. I find that I keep dancing to chase those moments. Sophia: “Dancing excites me, challenges me, moves […]
For me, creating work is often an outward presentation of a very personal journey. In reading Kalidasa’s Meghadhootha, I initially drew inspiration from many different translations, and literary commentaries. In reading the epic poem over and over again, there were certain verses that leapt out from the pages. These lines were coaxed by my own […]
I was first inspired by Kalidasa’s Meghadhuta (The Cloud Messenger) in 2009. At the time, I was exploring the role of the messenger in Indian texts and poetry. Often times the role of the messenger was simply stated – a person carrying a message from one lover to another. In dance, in some of the […]