Sarada Kala Nilayam (Imagining Pain: The Menster Saga) And Samudra Dance Creations (Fearless Women)

Imagining Pain; The Menster Saga
World Premiere: May 2024 at the Inaugural Women Choreographers of Pacific NW Festival, Portland.
In this piece, a woman's lifelong suffering, beginning in her teens, is depicted as she confronts disbelief and self-doubt amidst undiagnosed pain, embodied by the menstrual monster. Through Bharatanatyam and yoga-inspired movements, this dance drama illuminates the unseen struggles of women.

About Sarada Kala Nilayam
Founded in 2012, Sarada Kala Nilayam (SKN) is a performing arts organization dedicated to inspiring creativity and fostering community. At SKN, dance is more than movement-it is a language of expression, a bridge between tradition and modernity, and a means to build connections. SKN nurtures students who aspire to become serious practitioners of Bharatanatyam and Nattuvangam, encouraging curiosity, collaboration, and artistic growth. The organization also advocates for fair pay for artists and works towards making Bharatanatyam accessible to diverse audiences. With a vision to expand Bharatanatyam's reach, Sweta and SKN continue to innovate, educate, and inspire the next generation of dancers.

Fearless Women - a celebration of women's literature
Innumerable women poets and writers of South Asian origin remain relatively unknown. In this dance work, soloist Jyotsna Vaideeswaran explores the stories of India's early women writers and their works. Words that interrogate injustice, with searing questions of gender and faith, raising their voices. It's time that we listened for our sake!

Samudra Dance Creations
Samudra is a Sanskrit term literally meaning the "gathering together of waters." As the name implies, the company enables collaborations among freelance/professional artists in the San Francisco Bay Area and creates awareness around cultural/social issues. Samudra Dance Creations seeks to represent and empower the Indian community operating in a Diaspora environment and also seeks to engage mainstream. Samudra has presented at several prestigious festivals including Erasing Borders Festival New York, Momentum Festival Toronto, the PushDance Fest and the Ragamala Music Society of Canada. Jyotsna Vaidee, the Artistic Director, advocates that the authentic technique of Bharatanatyam is a rich language that can be used to communicate and discover themes that are both traditional and contemporary. To that end, Ms. Vaidee has created a number of full length original choreographic productions including The Caged Bird Sings (2018), The Quest Unsaid (2013/2015) and Kaavyam: Poetry in Motion (2011). Her most recent production The Earth Speaks was nominated in 2019 for an Isadora Duncan Award. Samudra's Dance Film STORM (2021) received official selection in multiple Dance Film Festivals

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Category: Arts | Performing Arts | Dance