FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 10, 2004
Press Contact: Lucy Pollak (818) 887-1499
e-mail: lucypr@flash.net
“PLANTING A SEQUOIA”
INDIAN DANCE ENSEMBLE INTERPRETS AMERICAN POEM
IN WORLD PREMIERE PERFORMANCE
AT FORD AMPHITHEATRE.
LOS ANGELES — Rangoli Dance Company presents the world premiere of Planting A Sequoia, a new work choreographed by Malathi Iyengar based on the poem by acclaimed American poet Dana Gioia. Part of the Ford Amphitheatre 2004 Season, a multi-disciplinary arts series produced by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission in cooperation with Los Angeles County-based arts organizations, Planting A Sequoia takes place on Saturday, September 11 at 7:30 pm at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills. Poet Dana Gioia will be on hand to read his poem aloud at the performance. Also on the program is a short prelude of Indian music and dance.
Rangoli Dance Company blends Western and Indian classical music with the powerful vocabulary of Indian dance, modern dance, and spoken word to interpret Gioia’s quintessentially American poem about the ritual planting of trees. The result is an unprecedented tapestry of emotion, rhythm, and style. Collaborators on the piece include American composer Alva Henderson and Indian composer Rajkumar Bharathi; lighting designer Eileen Cooley; costume designer Lakshmi Iyengar; and set designer Suresh Iyengar. Traditional dancers from India, including Ranjith Babu; Praveen Kumar; K. Murali Mohan; Sudarsan Sibi; Sanjay Shantaram; and Shama Shantaram, join dancers based in Southern California, including Ron Burton; Lakshmi Iyengar; Hema Iyer; Shyamala Moorty; Shaheen Sheik; and Soumya Sundaresh. This is the first time the Ford has presented an Indian dance ensemble in a full evening of work at the amphitheater.
“The poem is so powerful, so beautiful” comments Malathi Iyengar. “The cyclical quality of nature resonates in every culture. The passage of time. The continuity of life. The idea that life goes on, that even when one dies, the tree lives on to speak to the next generation. It humbles you. I could not stop thinking about the poem - about how I, as an artist, could add dimension to it through dance.”
‘Rangoli’ is the traditional art of decorating courtyards and walls of Indian houses with colorful designs. Iyengar, who has created floor designs for museums and institutions in both India and the U.S., named the company after the art form which, in India, is a symbol of beauty, hope, and tradition. Malathi Iyengar and the Rangoli Dance Company have performed extensively in India as well as in the United States. The Rangoli Foundation for Art & Culture, a non profit organization, was established in 1985 and is the recipient of multiple awards and grants from city, state and national agencies.
Malathi Iyengar, originally from Bangalore, India, is a Los Angeles-based choreographer, dancer and visual artist recognized as a visionary willing to take artistic challenges. She studied the vintage Pandanallur/Tanjore style of Bharata Natyam (classical dance of south India) from renowned Guru Narmada of Bangalore. Her creations range from traditional works to collaborations with artists of diverse cultures. Iyengar’s prestigious distinctions and awards include a Durfee Foundation Award; Brody Fellowship for Performing Arts; Alma Hawkins Award for Excellence in Choreography; John Lennon Performing Arts Award; Glorya Kaufman Award; and J. Watumull Award. Her extensive choreography credits include Sacred Geometry (2002); Enduring Traditions (2002); Love Lyrics (2001); Ankle Bells & Painted Faces (2001); Inter-Active Visual Poetry (2000); Ramayana (2000); Gati-Pragati (1999); Dancing Divinities (1999); Margam (1998); Soorya Kanti (1997; Aananda Narthana (1997); Mustard Seeds (1996); In the Beginning, featuring Narasimha and Creation Myth (1995); Traditions & Innovations, featuring Partha Sarathi and Anubhava (1994); Skanda (1993); and Sri Raghavendra (1992). Malathi’s has also choreographed traditional dances for Aman International Music & Dance Company and for the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Michael Michetti.
Poet, critic, and bestselling anthologist Dana Gioia is one of America’s leading contemporary men of letters. His collection of poems, Interrogations at Noon, won the 2002 American Book Award. Best known for his 1991 book Can Poetry Matter? about the role of poetry in contemporary culture, Gioia is internationally recognized for his role in reviving rhyme, meter, and narrative in contemporary poetry. An influential critic, he has combined populist ideals and high standards to bring poetry to a broader audience. His anthology, Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, coedited with X.J. Kennedy, is the bestselling college literary textbook in America. Gioia’s poems, translations, essays, and reviews have appeared in many magazines including The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Washington Post Book World, The New York Times Book Review, Slate, and The Hudson Review. He is also a long time commentator on American culture and literature for BBC Radio. Trained in music, Gioia was the classical music critic for San Francisco magazine for six years. His poetry has been set to music by many composers in genres from classical to rock, including a full-length dance theater piece, Counting the Children, and he has written two opera libretti, including Nosferatu with composer Alva Henderson. Dana Gioia currently serves as the ninth Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.
American composer Alva Henderson came to national attention when his first opera, Medea was performed by the San Diego Opera with Metropolitan Opera star Irene Dalis in the title role. A commission from Opera Delaware to create an opera for the American Bicentennial and for the gala reopening of the restored Grand Opera House in Wilmington followed; The Last of the Mohicans premiered there in 1976, was performed the following year by the Lake George Opera Festival, and was broadcast nationally on National Public Radio. Among his other compositions are the operas West of Washington Square, Achilles, and The Tempest; the cantata The Ancient Ones; and the dramatic musical Far from the Madding Crowd. He has written many songs, song cycles, and choruses as well as incidental music for Twelfth Night, The House of Bernarda Alba, and Much Ado About Nothing. On June 5, his Winter Requiem, with libretto by Dana Gioia, was premiered by Schola Cantorum in San Francisco and San Jose, California. The world premieres of his opera Nosferatu, again with libretto by Dana Gioia, are scheduled for October at the Rimrock Opera in Billings, Montana and in November at Opera Boise, Idaho.
Indian composer Rajkumar Bharathi stands today as one of the most popular artists of his generation. A native of Chennai, he has a great following in Karnataka. Rajkumar is known for his strong singing style or “sahithya bhava” (singing with clarity and feeling). He has composed film scores and devotional music, and has performed throughout India, the U.S., Europe and the Far East. He has collaborated with Malathi Iyengar since 1992.
Planting A Sequoia takes place on Saturday, September 11 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $15.00 for general admission and $12.00 for students. The Ford Amphitheatre is located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East in Hollywood, off the 101, across the freeway from the Hollywood Bowl and south of Universal Studios. On-site, stacked parking costs $5 per vehicle. Satellite parking serviced by FREE shuttles to the Ford is available at: Universal City Metro Station at Lankershim Blvd. and Campo de Cahuenga in the “kiss and ride” area (parking is free in the Metro Station lot); and Cherokee parking structure at 1718 North Cherokee, just north of Hollywood Blvd., 1.3 miles from the Ford (parking costs $3 with validation available at the Ford). The Ford is disabled accessible, and portable wireless listening devices are available upon request. The Ford offers a number of dining options: a variety of food and beverages is available on site and box dinners for evening events may be ordered in advance; picnicking is encouraged. For a complete season schedule, directions to the theater, parking information, and reservations, the public should call the Ford Theatres Box Office at (323) 461-3673 or go to www.fordamphitheatre.org.
THE FACTS
WHAT:
Planting A Sequoia — The multiple award-winning Malathi Iyengar and Rangoli Dance Company blends Western and Indian classical music with the powerful vocabulary of Indian dance, modern dance, and spoken word to interpret Dana Gioia’s quintessentially American poem. Poet Dana Gioa will be on hand to read his poem aloud at the performance. Also on the program is a short prelude of Indian music and dance.
WHO:
Presented by Rangoli Dance Company
Choreographed by Malathi Iyengar
Based on the poem by Dana Gioia
Music composed by Alva Henderson (U.S.) and Rajkumar Bharathi (India)
WHEN:
Saturday, September 11 at 7:30 pm
WHERE:
Ford Amphitheatre
2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East
Hollywood, CA 90068
(just off the 101, across the freeway from the Hollywood Bowl and south of Universal Studios)
HOW:
(323) GO 1-FORD (461-3673) or www.fordamphitheatre.org
PRICES:
General admission: $15.00; Students: $12.00
PARKING:
On-site, stacked parking: $5 per vehicle
Satellite parking: FREE shuttles to the Ford available at:
• Universal City Metro Station at Lankershim Blvd. and Campo de Cahuenga
in the “kiss and ride” area (parking is free in the Metro Station lot)
• Cherokee parking structure at 1718 North Cherokee, just north of
Hollywood Blvd., 1.3 miles from the Ford (parking costs $3 with validation available at the Ford).
WEBSITE:
www.fordamphitheatre.org
Planting A Sequoia is part of the Ford Amphitheatre 2004 Season, a multi-disciplinary arts series produced by the
Los Angeles County Arts Commission in cooperation with Los Angeles County-based arts organizations.
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