FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE! !Maraa Dance Theatre presents Kavi at Cafe Dance, Austin, Texas

June 14th & June 21st, 2014, 5pm & 8pm Shows !Tickets or Reservations requested for all shows as seating is limited. !

Featuring : Dancers Emily Pry, Gayathri Prasanth, Mysti Jace Pride, Preya Mangalat Patel, and Rujuta Narweker with Hindustani Vocalists Srikanth Balaji on Vocals, June 14th and Manasi Joshi-Singh on June 21st. !

This is Maraa Dance Theatre's second ensemble production. The first was Dream Sequence 6.5 in 2011. Artistic Director, Annelize Machado, is a dance artist and teacher whose work is rooted in a Contemporary South Asian aesthetic. Kavi is an evening of dance and live music inspired by by the ancient writings of poets and saint from India, the dances revolve around devotion and meditation. Writings from Andal, Akka Mahadevi, Purandarasa, Adi Shankaracharya, Muktabai, and Rupa Bhawani provide the imagery, emotion, and narrative that guide Machado’s choreography. Sister, Give Me a Pot was the first piece to be choreographed and is inspired by the prominent Carnatic composer, Purandarasa. “It’s got a bit of everything: kathak, bharatata naytam, modern. The seed idea was that of the path one would take on an important journey. The phrases came from the devotional

poem but, even so, they are light, playful,” says Machado. Sister, Give Me a Pot also showcases the dancers’ exploration of concepts like friendship and the necessity of meaningful connections to support a journey. Heart’s Only Home, a quartet inspired by the 13th century saint Muktabai allowed the dancers to explore text through imagery. Machado said, “We worked with the idea of seeking light, shedding darkness, and letting go. Muktabai’s poem speaks to the joy of finding light by knowing that the God she is seeking resides in her soul.” Hindustani vocals are sung by Austin based artists, Srikanth Balaji and Manasi Joshi-Singh. !The dancers worked closely with Machado to create the vocabulary that conveyed the poems’ messages, while pulling together the different dance styles. The dancers were challenged, not only to push the boundary of their preferred style, but to learn additional styles as well. Modern dancers Emily Pry and Mysti Jace Pride learned Indian gestures while Indian dancers Gayathri Prasanth, Preya Mangalat Patel, and Rujuta Narwakar committed to expanding their Classical vocabulary. “This show has been a learning experience for me on many fronts. The contemporary version that incorporates modern dance and martial arts, such as Kalaripayattu, is a relatively new experience for me. The fusion really leads to a greater vigor and variety in artistic expressions,” said Prasanth about her experience. Patel also found the challenge very rewarding. “This show is completely unique and interesting as far as my experience thus far. Instead of trying to change the deeply rooted ideas of bharata natyam, Annelize has created pieces through poetry and movement which hold true to each form respectively. When a choreographer tries to ‘westernize’ Indian classical dance, the result is not usually a good one. This choreography, however, exhibits a seamless connection between contemporary and Indian classical without any drastic variations from the essential bits,” said Patel. !

Dancers Patel and Prasanth in rehearsal. Photo by Anne Wharton

Dancer Gayathri Prasanth in rehearsal. Photo by Anne Wharton

The performance will take place at Cafe Dance, 3307 Hancock Dr, Austin, TX 78731. The show is 60 minutes, without an intermission. !!!

TICKETING Purchase ahead of time at Brown Paper Tickets

Students/$10 and General Admission/ $12. Visit http://kavidance.brownpapertickets.com

OR !

Reserve by Email & Pay at the Door $12 Student & $15 General Admission.

maraadance@gmail.com ! Publicity Contact : Anne Wharton at annewharton3@gmail.com !!

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Dancers Narwakar and Pride in rehearsal. Photo by Anne Wharton!

This project is funded and supported in part by the City of Austin through the Economic Development Department/Cultural Arts Division believing an investment in the Arts is an investment in Austin’s future. Visit Austin at Now This PlayingAustin.com

Sponsored by Texas Folklife