In the Indian tradition, music, poetry, dance, painting, sculpture, literature, legend, and myth are all inseparably linked in a vast tapestry of art and aesthetics. For a dancer, immersion in her practice involves an awareness of these subtle yet vital connections, to reveal ‘rasa’ - the ultimate aesthetic essence of the work. Her audience is then, not merely a spectator, but a co-creator of this shared experience beyond the self, beyond the here and now.

Samāgata is a coming together - of the dance and dancer, of the artist and the audience, of three different dance forms from the Indian tradition - Mohiniyattam (Sapna Govindan), Odissi (Priya Bangal), and Bharatanatyam (Soumya Rajaram). These three distinct Indian classical dance forms are brought together in a masterful concert that preserves the essence of a traditional presentation but introduces them in a manner accessible to a diverse, uninitiated audience.

This performance is part of a collaboration between Mayo Street Arts and the East End Community School. This MSA-EECS Partnership is a portion of a year-round approach toward engagement with our neighbors in East Bayside. Elementary students and faculty vote to select artists and tailor workshops to support the classroom curriculum.

Samāgata premiered in June 2022 in Andover, MA to a full house, supported in part by the Andover Cultural Council, Andover Commission for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and New England Foundation for the Arts’ New England Dance Fund. Leslie Seaton Malis, chairperson of the Andover Cultural Council described Samāgata as, “… an exciting production of India’s great dance tradition” and “…a vibrant reflection of our own ever-increasing cultural heritage.”

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Saturday, October 14 at 7:00 PM (doors 6:30 PM); approximately 90 minutes, with an intermission. A Q&A will follow the event.

Tickets are available for $15 in advance, $18 at the door, and $22 for preferred seating (pay-what-you-can available)

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Sapna Govindan, Priya Bangal, and Soumya Rajaram are practitioners of three distinct styles of Indian Classical dance - Mohiniyattam, Odissi, and Bharatanatyam respectively. Their work reflects the musical depth and poetic nuance that is essential to classical Indian dance and is informed by over four decades of combined training that they bring to their collaborative work. Having followed each others’ individual works long before collaborating on a production, they share an awareness of each others’ artistic choices and aesthetic values, some of which developed together during their post-pandemic meetings in an effort to seek community and support from each other. 

Individually and together, their work has been supported by the Mass Cultural Council, New England Foundation for the Arts, Andover Cultural Council, and the Andover Commission for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. As soloists, they have performed extensively at various venues in Massachusetts and India including Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre, Boston Center for the Arts, The Dance Complex, NACHMO Boston, Provincetown Dance Festival, Narada Gana Sabha Trust, and also Symphony Space in New York among others. Their debut collaboration Samāgata premiered in June 2022 in Andover MA to a full house and positive reviews. Sapna, Priya, and Soumya also believe in and enjoy engaging with audiences and the larger community in order to promote a nuanced appreciation of classical Indian dance. They have conducted community engagement sessions at the Fessenden School in Newton, Andover Center for History and Culture, and Lexington Community Education. Veteran ballet dancer and choreographer Jose Mateo described their work as, “a fortunate collaboration by three consummate performers who have mastered the secrets of captivating audiences of all backgrounds.”

PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN POLICY

No one will be turned away for lack of funds; contact MSA at 207-879-4629 or info@mayostreetarts.org to take advantage of pay-what-you-can admission.

COVID-19 POLICY

Masking is optional for this performance.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Mayo Street Arts has a no refund policy for all reservations. In the event that MSA is forced to cancel an event due to weather, illness, etc., refunds will be offered via the Ticket Tailor platform.

Funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.