Ananya Dance Theatre to Present ANTARANGA at The O'Shaughnessy This September

Ananya Dance Theatre, a company of BIPOC women/femmes, will launch its 19th Season of disruptive, powerful, and urgent Contemporary Dance with the world premiere of ANTARANGA: Between You and Me (Get Tickets Now!). Conceptualized and choreographed by Ananya Chatterjea. This transformative work will premiere at The O’Shaughnessy at St. Catherine University on Friday, September 27, and Saturday, September 28 at 7:30pm, as a part of O’Shaughnessy’s Dance Cohort.

ANTARANGA is the first of two pieces in a series, connected by an environmental and mythological ethos. Both are set in a world very like our own, where people have lost their ability to sense the energy of other human beings and can no longer recognize or connect with each other. They attack each other as they reach for food, even as a huge hunger overwhelms them. Shared humanity is an endangered concept.

These few humsafar were born when Chiron (the Wounded Healer planet) was looking up in wonder at the luminous full moon at the moment of the equinox. In this auspicious moment, they were blessed with sea-anemone-like nervous systems, open and responsive, and with remarkable heart-opening powers. These people share two critical abilities: Super-Connectors and Super-Conductors. As Super-Connectors, they alone can still recognize other life forms, and sense the pain and desire of other humans. They are connected to animal and bird life, and all nature, finding in each the source of the healing that is deeply needed in the world. As Super-Conductors, they can create magnetic fields and hold on to the vibratory change of human energy, creating a cycle of healing. Their deep understanding of energy allows them to intuit the ritualistic openings of portals.

These nine humsafar include the Healer (Parisha Rajbhandari), the Magic Worker (Kealoha Ferreira), the Wound Carrier (Ananya Chatterjea), the Lightning Striker (Noelle Awadallah), the Wind Weaver (Sonny Irving), the Circle Holder (Erica Josefina Vibar Sherwood), the Water Bearer (Taylor West), the Path Carver (Kavya Chirayil), and the Earth Churner (Belle Alvarez). 

Artistic Director/Choreographer Chatterjea says: “As we approach our 20th season, we have been turning our focus towards manifesting a truly liberatory future. How can we build a future that is beyond our current experience and understanding? How can we use old tools to build a new world? It has been so grounding for me to construct this new mythos, as a practice of imaginatively responding to our current global crises. Tracing out the development of these archetypes, as they grow into their full strength, offers us patterns for negotiating our own future. And the worlds we are conjuring are not fantasy: they reflect the reality of our times. We begin at the peak of crisis, when light and agency have nearly vanished, and the Super-Connectors are torn apart from each other, lost. To reunite, they must journey across a world overhung by shadows; another world rife with distorting mirrors; to finally arrive at a world immersed in honey: sweet, but viscous and slippery. During the perilous journeys, traced in the performance of Antaranga: Between You and Me, they survive and heal by building a care-full solidarity and kinship that blossoms into intimate connection. 

ABOUT THE SHOW

ADT’s company of BIPOC women and femme dancers, in creative alliance with behavioral artist Marcus Young, composer/sound designer Greg Schutte, costume designer Annie Cady, scenic designer Mina Kinukawa, video designer Darren Johnson, and lighting designer Kevin Jones. Antaranga’s world was built through the extraordinary dramaturgical support of Sharon Bridgforth. The recorded original score will feature vocals from Pooja Goswami Pavan, Aida Shahghasemi, and Mankwe Ndosi. 

Audiences will experience a unique blend of visual spectacle and auditory experiences, redefining what to expect from dance, theater, storytelling, and community.  Ananya Dance Theatre offers an invigorating dance work, vibrating with hard-won connection and soulful beauty. 
 

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.