A dance spectacle that combines Indian classical and Sri Lankan cultural dance will be streamed for free by The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) on February 17.
The performance, called ‘Ahuti’, is the second such cross-cultural collaboration between India’s Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and Sri Lanka’s Chitrasena Dance Company. It is a contemporary fusion of classical Odissi dance from India and traditional Kandyan dance from Sri Lanka.
Before the performance, there will be a live pre-show conversation that represents a dialogue between the distinct dance traditions of South India and Sri Lanka.
“Our second collaborative work with The Chitrasena Dance Company has taken us a step further towards understanding and integrating common resonances in our different movement styles and our dances that clearly reflect a shared and uniting history,” said Artistic Director of Nrityagram Dance Company Surupa Sen is a statement.
Ahuti was filmed at Chowdiah Memorial Hall in Bengaluru, India in 2019.
Artistic Director of Chitrasena Dance Company Heshma Wignaraja said: “It has always been a great honour to be in the company of Nrityagram, leave alone being invited for a second time to collaborate with them.”
Go online to book free tickets to view the show, which can only be watched online at the scheduled time — 7.30pm on February 17. The artists will be available before the performance to answer questions, in a Q&A moderated by author, dancer and NYUAD faculty member Tishani Doshi.
