In Residence:
February 26,2012

Discipline:
Dancer

About

Tonight’s performance found me. The gods of Bali appear to have conspired with the staff in Purnati. At their gentle urging I started working with the Balinese dance goddess Murni.  Under Murni’s stern command I was initiated into secret ceremonial Balinese dances – rejang and legong.  I hope to start a cross-cultural experiment – to marry the watery Balinese dance with the fiery movements of Bharatanatyam.

Tonight’s show is entirely improvisational. No set choreography.  I hoped to rely on the God and spirits of Purnati for this site-specific work. I had chosen various sacred spots in Purnati – the Banyan tree, the stone temple, the cave by the river and the amphitheatre.  I will make an offering to each of these sites and ask the spirits for permission before I dance.   We have not invited anyone – no audience in the traditional sense.  I have chosen my favorite music – none of them traditional dance music – whether from the Bharanatyam universe or legong universe.  But all imbued with deep personal meaning for me – a combination of divine tamil songs, jathis from my guru KJ Sarasa and a piano composition from an Italian pianist Einaudi.  This cross cultural playlist is partly a tribute to the founders of Purnati.  It is also a reflection of my recent journeys.