Internationally acclaimed Indian dancer Dr Janaki Rangarajan will perform in Port Elizabeth on Saturday September 15 at the Barn Theatre.
The Nirvana Performing Art Circle is presenting the Samah evening of Bharatanatyam dance as part of its celebration of the centenary year of the late Nelson Mandela and the 125th anniversary of Ganghi’s Stayagraha Movement.
Samah is “the dance of mystic poetry”, a spokesperson for Nirvana said.
It explores the intense and beautiful poetry of Sufi poets such as Rumi, Khusrow, Karbir and Bulleh Shah, as well as Bhakti poets such as Surdas, Vidyapati, Andal and Adi Sankari.
The words are set to music and performed by virtuosos of song, flute and mridangam (an Indian percussion instrument).
Rangarajan, who started to learn dance at the age of four, is at the forefront of the new generation of Bharatanatyam dancers.
Since then, she has been learning and teaching the classical Indian dance discipline, and has travelled the world with her art.
She tours with new choreographic works and conducts workshops.
Janaki is also a gifted dance choreographer and has received many national and international accolades for performance and choreography.
As a teacher, Janaki devotes time and energy into developing a new generation of dancers who are dedicated to Bharatanatyam.
After her lecture and demonstration on Saturday, she will travel to Cape Town to lecture and perform there.
Samah is at 7pm and tickets are R100.
● Further information from Narotam, 082-556-9847.