JKDC to Present World Premiere of PARADISE LOST at Fleck Dance Theatre, 12/6-8

In celebration of its 35th Anniversary, Janak Khendry Dance Company (JKDC), after three years of extensive research, proudly unveils the world premiere of Paradise Lost, transforming the mysteries of this great literary work by John Milton (1608-1674) into the first-ever full-length dance production.A monumental artistic undertaking, Paradise Lost is performed by a stunning ensemble of seventeen dancers who perform both Western contemporary and classical Indian styles, and runs December 6-8 at Harbourfront Centre's Fleck Dance Theatre as part of NextSteps. For tickets, call the Box Office at 416-973-4000 or visit online http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com.

Deemed one of the greatest works in the English language, Milton's epic poem is the story of the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden.
Two world renowned Milton scholars are advising Artistic Director and Paradise Lost choreographer Janak Khendry in this exploration of Milton and his masterpiece: Mr. Philip Pullman from Oxford, England (author of Northern Lights, known as The Golden Compass in North America, adapted into a film of the same name) and Toronto's Dr. Tulsiram Sharma (whose PHD thesis from the University of London was on Milton's Paradise Lost).

Says Khendry, "In this two-hour presentation, we intend to illustrate the struggle between God and Satan, between good and evil, the angels and Satan's army, to represent the story of original sin - the story of Adam and Eve - and the role of human beings as pawns in this great saga between Satan and God. Such scenarios are echoed in Indian scriptures including the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads. Juxtapositions of good and evil, and naivety and craftiness, as well as the act of falling from grace, are themes common both to Hinduism and Christianity. In short, audiences will witness a universal 'morality play' in our rendering of Paradise Lost."
Original music is being created by three prominent composers: Canadian contemporary composer Eric Cadesky (Glass Orchestra) and renowned classical Indian composers Ashit Desai and Alap Desai from Bombay, India.

Drawing from a pool of distinguished Canadian dancers to play the characters of Paradise Lost, Indian classical and western modern dance styles will be blended to create a new dance vocabulary to present this great masterwork.

With Allen Kaeja as SATAN, Eddie Kastrau as ADAM, Kala Vageesan as EVE, Zhenya Cerneacov as GABRIEL, Austin Fagan as MICHAEL, Tyler Gledhill as RAPHAEL, Harikishan S. Nair as SON OF GOD, Mateo Galindo Torres as URIEL and Janak Khendry as GOD, Paradise Lost is poised to become a significant part of Canadian dance heritage.

Additionally, other noteworthy Indo-Canadian dancers assume the roles of angels and Satan's followers: Sinthuja Jeyarajah, Divya Divakaran, Rugsha Sivanandan, Meera Rajah, Keerthika Ravinthiran, Ishwaria Chandru, Harinnya Rajasekeran and Kalaisan Kalaichelvan.

The Janak Khendry Dance Company is an internationally renowned professional Indo-Canadian Dance Company that began in 1978. Its current focus is to create significant philosophical works that have a universal message and to develop better human understanding through dance. Dedicated to creating rare, unique and outstanding dance, the company enjoys a high international profile and has been invited to perform in Canada, the United States, India, Myanmar, Singapore, Mexico, South Africa, Australia and, most recently, in 2013, in Kuwait and Oman. In each host country, JKDC is sponsored by the Indian and/or Canadian Embassies. Its dancers, in essence, travel as Indo-Canadian Cultural Ambassadors.

In 2004, JKDC was invited by the University of Culture, Myanmar and co-sponsored by the Governments of Myanmar and the Embassy of India. In 2006, it was invited by the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico; the Embassies of Canada and India co-sponsored the visit. In 2007, Bharti Pravasi Divas invited the company to perform at its annual conference in New Delhi. The same year, the Indian Council of Cultural Relations invited JKDC to tour India. In 2008, a film based on Janak Khendry's choreographic work When the Gods Came Down to Earth was shown in Australia. And, as well in 2008, under the co-sponsorship of the High Commissions of Canada and India, the company was invited to South Africa to perform at Shared Histories, an arts festival which was a collaborative project of the Governments of India and South Africa. In 2014, JKDC plans to take Paradise Lost to the country of its birth - England - and hopes to tour it to other parts of the world as well.

The company's repertoire contains over 130 works. Some of the major creations of the company include "Panchakalyanaka - From the Life of MAHAVEER", "WOMEN LIBERATED - Buddha's Teachings", "GAYATRI", "UPANISHAD", "Four Thousand Years History of GANGA" and "KAAL-TIME - the History of Time."

Janak Khendry Dance Company presents the world premiere of Paradise Lost Concept and Choreography by Janak Khendry Costume Design by Janak Khendry Sets and Lighting by Bradley Trenaman Original Music by Eric Cadesky, Ashit Desai and Alap Desai Performed by an ensemble of 17 including Zhenya Cerneacov, Austin Fagan, Tyler Gledhill, Allen Kaeja, Eddie Kastrau, Janak Khendry, Harikishan S. Nair, Mateo Galindo Torres, Kala Vageesan

Friday December 6 - Sunday, December 8, 2013 Friday and Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 3pm
part Harbourfront Centre's NextSteps series at Fleck Dance Theatre, 207 Queens Quay W., Toronto Tickets: $28-$36

Harbourfront Centre Box Office: 416-973-4000 OR online at www.harbourfrontcentre.com or www.jkdanceco.org.

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