SONG OF THE JASMINE BY RAGAMALA DANCE COMPANY

Thursday, March 12, 7:30 pm, Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, Chamber Seating
Ranee Ramaswamy, Aparna Ramaswamy, Rudresh Mahanthappa, creators
$35, $30, $20; Five College, GCC and 17 & under $10

Guided by the rich poems of the Tamil Bhakti poet Andal, Song of the Jasmine embodies the spiritual and the sensual that are the lifeblood of the Indian psyche. Ragamala Dance collaborates with jazz saxophonist/composer Rudresh Mahanthappa as he heads a new ensemble for a live soundscape of jazz that features guitarist Rez Abbasi and the Carnatic ensemble.

Acclaimed as one of the Indian diaspora’s leading dance ensembles in the United States, Ragamala Dance seamlessly carries the South Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam into the 21st century. Informed by the echoing past and the fleeting present, the two artistic directors Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy’s create evocative choreography that renews tradition. SONG OF THE JASMINE is a new work conceived by Aparna Ramaswamy and created in collaboration with renowned jazz saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, two first-generation Indian-American artists whose bicultural identities have influenced their artistry in different ways. Their unique artistic perspectives converge on the common ground of creating art in which universal themes are intertwined with a transformative artistic vision, and in which innovation is rooted in a profound understanding and enduring respect for tradition.