TRANSCENDENCE: Ancient Dances and other Traditional Arts of India to kickoff groundbreaking series

 DANCE SATURDAYS AT THE SANCTUARY __________________

Immersive event featuring dance artists Soumya Rajaram and Anandini Sekhar showcases Classical Indian Dance with live music, visual arts, food and drink

March 14, 2020, 7:30pm Sanctuary Theatre in Harvard Square, Cambridge

Cambridge, MA — Building on the success of the organization’s trailblazing DANCE SATURDAYS AT THE SANCTUARY 2019 events, the 33-year-old José Mateo Ballet Theatre (JMBT) announced the line-up for the series’ second season with TRANSCENDENCE as its first event on March 14 at 7:30pm. For nine Saturdays this spring at the company’s home, The Sanctuary Theatre, 400 Harvard Street in Harvard Square, Cambridge, the series will highlight leading dance artists who represent the distinct cultures of Greater Boston’s diverse dance communities. DANCE SATURDAYS will spotlight the talented but sometimes overlooked local artists who specialize in Classical Indian, Ballroom, Scottish Highland, Salsa, Contemporary, African, Tap, and Traditional Japanese dance forms, as well as ballet. For more information and tickets, visit www.ballettheatre.org.

TRANSCENDENCE will feature classical dance, music and other arts from across the Indian subcontinent. The magnificence of Indian classical traditions will be represented through an exhibition of paintings by Sunanda Sahay, master artist of the Madhubani style. Anandini Sekhar, accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher in the Boston area, will be the event’s Master of Ceremonies. A Dhrupad choir by the popular Shuchita Rao and team will provide soulful and meditative Hindustani music, one of the most ancient styles of classical music. Dazzling Kathak, classical dance from Northern India, will be performed by Anjali Nath, one of the most dynamic artists of a new generation of Kathak soloists, and the Anubhava School of music will present Carnatic music that demonstrates the timeless beauty of a musical tradition that evolved over centuries devoid of any Persian influence.

Soumya Rajaram’s Bharatanatyam solo is the featured presentation of the evening, supported by the Carnatic ensemble for a magical experience of live music and dance. Soumya is a respected dancer and teacher in the Boston area, and performs regularly at The Dance Complex and in José Mateo Ballet Theatre’s Dance for World Community Festival, as well as traveling to perform at prestigious festivals in India. Soumya is a three-time finalist of the Massachusetts Fellowship for Traditional Arts.

TICKETS: $35 per person for single event (Discounts available for 3-, 5- or 9-event packages) V.I.P. Tickets: $125 (includes $60 tax-deductible contribution, preferred seating and complimentary beverage) Tickets and Information: www.ballettheatre.org or 617-354-7467

Dance Saturdays continues JMBT’s signature style of presenting dance “up-close” with an expanded vision and format. Upon entering The Sanctuary Theatre, audiences will be immersed in a festive, cultural and artistic experience where they will explore the provocative and sometimes hidden world of one of nine different dance forms. Performances by leading dance artists from the Greater Boston area will be the centerpiece of each unique event offering a rich ambiance that will include music, visual arts displays, dancing for all, drinks and light food.

Dance Saturdays is the newest component of the organization’s multi-program project, Dance for World Community, serving its mission “to drive the unifying power of dance to build stronger communities”.

According to JMBT Founder and Artistic Director José Mateo, “Dance Saturdays is part of a broader strategy to expand, elevate and reposition the role of dance in America’s multicultural communities. Dance is a powerful but underutilized force for bringing together people of diverse backgrounds, opening their eyes to the positive values we all share as human beings and building trust and new connections among their distinct communities.”

www.ballettheatre.org

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