Choreography
Naked Line (to be ready for premiere in 2024)
The uproar that followed Janet Jackson’s Superbowl “wardrobe malfunction” in 2004 triggers several questions in the mind of Aparna Sindhoor as a present-day dancer and performing artist. Sindhoor calls upon Muddu Palani, an 18th-century courtesan and author of beautiful erotica, to help her understand women’s sensuality, desire, art, pain, and pleasure. Notably, there are lines drawn around women—through body shaming, banning of books and artists, and sexual abuse. Aparna Sindhoor and dance partner Anil Natyaveda create a new physical theater experience in collaboration with S M Raju (Co-writer) and George Brooks (Composer) to tell the stories of women artists of the past and present who dared to cross the line. Naked Line amplifies silenced stories that are common among women across cultures, and not often broached in dance theater.
KEY COLLABORATING ARTISTS
Aparna Sindhoor - Artist Director, Navarasa Dance Theater
(performer/writer/choreographer/director)
S M Raju (Rajendran Meena Sivasankaran),
(writer/production design)
Anil Natyaveda, Co-Director, Navarasa Dance Theater
(performer/choreographer/director)
George Brooks (composer)
Yael Prizant (writing consultant)
Additional Music: Dr. Sukanya Prabhakar
Singers: Tanisha Hall, Kala Ramnath, N Srinath, George Brooks, Aparna Sindhoor
Snake and Ladder
Written by filmmaker S M Raju and choreographed and directed by internationally acclaimed Aparna Sindhoor and Anil Natyaveda with music by National award winner Isaac Thomas Kottukapally, Snake and Ladder is inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s film and story of king Ashoka. The performance brings together exceptional actors, dancers, and aerialists to create an outstanding experience of physical theater.
Partially funded by: Malavalli Family Foundation, Wyomissing Family Foundation, Radhakrishna Family Foundation
Encounter
An evening-length’s work of contemporary dance theater explores various kinds of encounters, from encounters with the divine to gravity to the military using poems, songs and stories. Poems by Sufi poet Kabir, Bhakti poet Akka Mahadevi, songs including Bob Marley’s, and a short story by Mahasweta Devi are part of the encounters.
Choreography and Direction: Aparna Sindhoor and Anil Natyaveda
Script and Concept: S M Raju and Aparna Sindhoor
Music: Isaac Thomas Kottukapally
Performance:
Aparna Sindhoor, Anil Natyaveda, Rajesh Raveendran, Raghu Narayanan, Smitha Radhakrishnan, Vyvyane Loh, Soumya Ramanathan and Jill Cunningham
Kabir’s Poem: Neela Bhagwat
A Dance Theater by Aparna Sindhoor and Anil Natyaveda
A Story And A Song
A Story and A Song has been developed based on women’s stories. An interactive dialogue between Kannada folk tales, Native American tales along with narratives from contemporary women, A Story and A Song is a tale of women, environment and love. Stories are from A. K. Ramanujan’s translations of Kannada folktales and Native American tales by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz (editors), and local tales by grand mothers, friends and family. Choreography is based on Bharatanatyam, Yoga, Martial Arts and Theater. The performance encompasses spoken word, dance, theater and contact improvisation in a powerful way to engage the audience.
Choreography and Direction: Aparna Sindhoor and Anil Natyaveda
Script and Concept: S M Raju and Aparna Sindhoor
Music: Prasanna
Performance:
Navarasa Dance Theater
Performers:
Aparna Sindhoor, Anil Natyaveda, Rajesh Raveendran, Raghu Narayanan, Vijith Vikraman, Pradeesh Sivanandan