Rangoli Foundation
Presents

RAMAYANA

A dance theatre featuring musicians and dancers from India and USA

The concert relates the message of ‘Ramayana’ (powerful story of good over evil) as an instrument to share the precious traditions of India with our audiences. ‘Ramayana’ tells the story of the courageous and heroic prince ‘Rama’, and his beautiful princess ‘Sita’. The performance will depict their adventures during their fourteen-year exile, the kidnapping of ‘Sita’, and finally, the Great War waged to recover her from the clutches of the evil demon king ‘Ravana’.

‘Ramayana’ was originally set to rhyming couplets in the language ‘Sanskrit’ over 2500 years ago, and was written by the sage-poet ‘Valmiki’. Since then, the story has been told, retold and interpreted several times by visual and performing artists. ‘Ramayana’ is divided into seven ‘Kandas’ (cantos) or sections and contains 24,000 verses. This music and dance feature is based on selected ‘shlokas’ or hymns from sage Valmiki’s great epic ‘Srimad Ramayana’.

The gods in the heavens lived in great terror of Ravana, the demon who ruled Lanka. To help the gods, Vishnu made his appearance in the world as Rama at the end of ‘Treta Yuga’ or the second age. The epic focus is on ‘Rama’, seventh incarnation of god ‘Vishnu’ and the unchanging values, messages and moral lessons that are represented in ‘Ramayana’. Sage Valmiki describes the poetic journey of the central figure, Rama as human, superhuman, and finally divine. In rich and expressive language, Valmiki narrates the legend of Rama, the Ikshvaku prince, who embodies the ideals by which a man, warrior, and a king must live.

Artistic Direction - Malathi Iyengar
Music Composition - D. S. Srivathsa
Poetry – Sage Valmiki’s ‘Srimad Ramayana’
Lighting – Suresh Iyengar

Orchestra
Malathi Iyengar – Nattuvangam, Mysore N. Srinath – Vocal, Neela Ramanujam - Vocal
Mridangam – Janradhan Rao, Violin – R. Kalaiarasan, Flute – K. S. Jayaram

Dancers
Ronald Burton, Lakshmi Iyengar, Malathi Iyengar, Seshadri Iyengar, Praveen Kumar, K. Murali Mohan, Shyamala Moorty, Sathyanarayana Murthy, Emma Scioli, Kavita Thirumalai, & T. B. Unnikrishnan

Saturday, July 15, 2000. 7:00 P.M
Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 South Spring St, Los Angeles, Box Office - 213 485 1681

Sunday, July 16, 2000. 6:00 P.M.
Madrid Theatre, 21622 Sherman Way, Canoga Park, Box Office - 818 347 9938

Admission – General $12, Students, Seniors, Art Card, & DRC $10
Event Information: 818 380 0858 / Rangoli Foundation 818 788 6860
E Mail: msiyengar@rangoli.org / Web Page: www.rangoli.org

This project is supported in part by a grant from the City of L A Cultural Affairs Dept
Brody Arts Fund, California Community Foundation
L A T C and Madrid Theatre - A facility of the City of Los Angeles, Cultural Affairs Dept