October 30, 2001
Contact: George Yatchisin
(805) 893-3494
e-mail: yatchisin-g@sa.ucsb.edu

Performance and film of classical Indian dance at UCSB

Summary Facts:

• Alka Shah Dancers
• Film and performance: The Cosmic Dance of Shiva
• Performance of Bharata Nayam, one of the oldest dance styles in India
• Characterized by graceful eye, face and body movements, combined with intricate footwork
• Saturday, December 1
• 7:30 pm / UCSB Campbell Hall
• General public $10, UCSB students $8
• For tickets & information: UCSB Arts & Lectures at 893-3535

A special film presentation and dance performance will bring the classical Indian art form of Bharata Natyam—characterized by graceful eye, face and body movements, combined with intricate, percussive footwork—to UCSB. The Cosmic Dance of Shiva (1992, 57 minutes) will screen on Saturday, December 1 at 7:30 pm in UCSB Campbell Hall, followed by a live performance by the Alka Shah Dancers. The film, shot by Indian folklorist Deben Bhattacharya, features the dance of Shiva performed in the classic kuchipudi style. Following the film, Alka Shah and her dancers—Doli and Jahnvee Bambhania and Sriyani DeSilva—will portray emotions ranging from the first love experienced by a young maiden to the anger of Lord Shiva that can destroy the world.

Bharata Natyam, or the dance of Bharata, takes its name from the 6th-century scholar who wrote the first Indian treatise on dance and drama. Many South Indian temples contain sculptures carved with figures posed in positions typical of Bharata Natyam. The dance is divided into two forms, nritta and nritya. In nritta the dancer focuses on a mastery of abstract hand gestures and movements. In nritya the dancer employs a complex system of hand signals and body language to depict emotional expressions of episodes portraying Hindu mythology. Today Bharata Natyam is an immensely popular form of cultural expression and source of pride among the Indian Diaspora. It is often used to solidify ties between second generation immigrants and their cultural heritage on the Indian subcontinent.

Alka Shah, for instance, has been teaching traditional Indian folk dances since 1985. She trained under the guidance of Guru Shri Kubernathji Tanjorkar and Nirvaben of Vadodara, India and therefore her teaching style adheres to the Tanjorkar gharana. She was awarded a Gold Medal in Bharata Natyam from Gujarat Bruhad Sangeet Samiti in Gujarat, India. Alka Shah and her dancers have performed throughout Southern California; Doli Bambhania has a graduate degree in mathematics and computer science from UCSB.

The ethnographic film The Cosmic Dance of Shiva was shot in India and includes visits to temples dedicated to Shiva and dance performances by Raja and Radha Reddy. Deben Bhattacharya, the film’s director, is a specialist in collecting, filming and recording traditional music, song and dance in Asia, Europe and North Africa. Since 1955 he has been producing documentary films, records, illustrated books and radio programs related to his research.

This event is co-presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures, the India Association of Santa Barbara and the UCSB MultiCultural Center. Ticket prices are $10 for the general public and $8 for UCSB students. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased the night of the event, if available, beginning at 6:30 pm.

For tickets or more information,
call UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535.

Editor: For photos, please call
George Yatchisin at (805) 893-3494.