Dreaming Damsel comes alive at Hambledon Cottage
John Napier, Abhijit Dan, Sumathi Krishnan, Aruna Gandhi and Ken Smith at the Hambledon Cottage, Hassall Street, Parramatta
Sydhwaney Productions presents: THE DREAMING DAMSEL as part of the Anywhere Festival Parramatta 2015 partnered by the Parramatta & District Historical Society and Parramatta City Council with Sumathi Krishnan (vocal), John Napier (cello), Aruna Gandhi (dancer) on Saturday & Sunday, 16 & 17 May, 2.30 pm at Hambledon Cottage, Hassall St, Parramatta with Guided tour from 12:00pm to 2:00 pm.
Under the tall trees that bear witness, the painter’s brush moves, the bow of the cello draws on a melody, the beat of the percussion follows the footsteps of the statuesque dancer, as voice of the poetry embraces you on a journey of the Dreaming Damsel
“This place is a dream, only a sleeper considers it real, then death comes like dawn, you wake up laughing, at what you thought was your grief.
-Rumi”
Poetry, music, dance, art have allowed Indian women to break their traditional roles in society. Giving them the opportunity to explore and express their true emotions for centuries – be it around their village well, verandas or palace gardens.
The artworks of Raja Ravi Varma depict his reverence for these women. Raja Ravi Varma’s futuristic universal approach establishes a beautiful union of Indian subjects and European techniques of water and oil paint.
Whether a queen, a beggar or a goddess in each he saw their intrinsic beauty. It is this element of awe and admiration for the female form, mind and spirit that shall be invoked in The Dreaming Damsel.
“I wanted to use the historical heritage space at Hambledon Cottage to take traditional art practice out of small community spaces and theatres and frame them in our Australian landscape but by using a very ”˜traditional’ Aussie period building I wanted to give it a unique multicultural profile” says creative director Sumathi Krishnan.
The production is to be held in the period environs of the historical heritage museum of Hambledon Cottage whose outdoor courtyard shall be transformed into a gallery and performing space. Viewers can avail of a guided tour of the museum before the show.
Sumathi Krishnan, Conceiver and Creative Director is an accomplished Indian vocalist. Lauded by Drum Media as a marvellous performer, she has been composing and singing for over 18 years. With her spontaneous improvisations of Indian singing styles, Sumathi draws out the beauty of lyrics in many Indian languages. She has been the Community Coordinator and Dance Program Director for Parramasala in recent years while nurturing the performing arts through her much appreciated mainstream arts website (www.Sydhwaney.com ) for over seven years.
John Napier, Cellist is a Performer and Ethnomusicologist at the UNSW, Australia. He maintains a performing career as an orchestral, chamber and contemporary cellist (and sometime tenor), performing in venues ranging from opera houses to Darlinghurst cafes, in ensembles ranging from symphony orchestras to experimental jazz bands.
Aruna Gandhi, performing artiste, choreographer, educator, is the founder-director of Silambam Sydney, specialising in the Indian-classical dance style of Bharatanatyam. With over 24 years of performances in India and Australia she is the recipient of ”˜Distinguished Talent Visa’ in Australia 2013. Her repertoire extends to solos and collaborations in cross cultural projects. She has performed at Sydney Festival (2014), Parramasala (2013, 2012), FORM Dance Projects’ and at many other community events. More info: www.arunagandhi.com
Supported by Pallavarajan Nagendran, a high calibre percussionist was initiated to play the double sided Indian drum Mridangam by the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS). He performs widely across international arenas and contemporary music and dance festivals.
Abhijit Dan, Tabla player trained by the internationally renowned Tabla maestro Pandit Swapan Choudhury was a regular Radio and Television artist in India. He has also composed and arranged and also performed with many eminent musicians.
Murthy Anjanappa, a Sydney based artist of repute whose brush strokes shall move to the melody of the music and the footsteps of the dancer in a live demonstration; Poetic compilations of Rekha Rajvanshi, President of Indian Literary and Arts Society of Australia Inc. and Anu Shivram, Poet and Kannada Journalist make this event complete.
Tickets $25
http://anywherefest.com/the-dreaming-damsel/
http:// www.sydhwaney.com
Short URL: https://indiandownunder.com.au/?p=4897