Abhinaya - My Journey of Return, In Aid of the Rainbow Centre.

<body> <p><font face="Arial"><b>Time, Place and Tickets</b><br> Date: 20-21 April 2002<br> Time: 8 pm<br> Venue: Ngee Ann Auditorium, Asian Civilization Museum, 1 Empress Place</font></p> <p><font face="Arial"><b>Abhinaya</b><br> Abhinaya is a Sanskrit term meaning “to carry towards.” A central concept in Bharata Natyam it refers to use of expressive elements by a dancer ” to carry towards” the audience the meaning of her performance. Abhinaya encompasses meaning that is conveyed through (a) a dancer’s facial expression and bodily movements; (b) a dancer’s costumes and accessories; (c) the representation of the dancer’s innermost feelings and thoughts; and (d) the songs and poetry that accompany the dance. <br> <br> <b>My Journey of Return</b><br> In this recital I explore the multi faceted and multi layered Abhinaya and use it to share my journey of return – a process of break with tradition, withdrawal and return. I revisited Chennai, India on 28 November 2001. It was after many years – 14 to be exact since I had visited Chennai. This time I was not a mere tourist. I took time off from my job as a corporate attorney in Singapore and went to live in Chennai for three months. I went to Chennai in search of answers – answers to the many questions I had about myself, my life choices and my art. To me the physical return to Chennai represented a return to my ancestral roots, a return to my artistic self and a return to Bharata Natyam. Away from a competitive, structured urban environment, I was able to reflect and reformulate my own artistic truth and aesthetic sensibilities. In this recital cum photo exhibit I share with you what I discovered. <br> <br> <br> <b>What to Expect</b><br> The dance recital and photo exhibition are essentially solo endeavors featuring dance by Arul Ramiah and art photography by Ken Seet. The dance recital will consist of classical, semi-classical and contemporary works presented within the framework of classical Indian dance (Bharata Natyam) repertoire. The photography exhibition captures classical and contemporary dance forms in different settings and is the result of an interdisciplinary dialogue between Arul and Ken. The photographs challenge the traditional boundaries separating photojournalism, advertising and art. <br> <br> <br> </font><br> </p> </body>