Malavika Sarukkai: Lecture-Demonstration
Sponsored by the Asian Arts Council

October 27, Thursday, 1:00 p.m.
James S. Copley Auditorium
$10 (free for ACC members)

Bharatha Natyam is one of the major classical dances of India. It has two main aspects: nritta, or pure dance, which is characterized by a classic symmetry of line and movement; and abhinaya, or expressional dance, in which the dancer, through stylized gestures, body movement, and facial expressions, conveys emotions, revealing in the process the subtlest nuances of feeling.

In this lecture-demonstration, Malavika Sarukkai will explain how nritta, abhinaya, and symbolism work together to tell stories full of emotions, which can move the viewer to tears or pure ecstasy.

Malavika Sarukkai: "Painting in Space"
Sponsored by the Committee for the Arts of the Indian Subcontinent

October 29, Saturday, 7:00 p.m.
James S. Copley Auditorium
$30 members/$40 nonmembers
$20 students and CAIS members

In this full dance performance, Malavika Sarukkai uses her body as the medium to paint the space around her in response to works on view in Domains of Wonder. She expresses herself through the language of Bharata Natyam, using its vocabulary, technique, and grammar to re-create the paintings. Steeped in mythology and history, her dance form takes audiences beyond the paintings, into the stories and emotions of the imagery.

An internationally acclaimed performer, Malavika Sarukkai has practiced Bharata Natyam, a very physically demanding and technically precise form of classical Indian dance, for over three decades.

Singapore Airlines is pleased to sponsor these programs featuring the extraordinary artistry of Padmashree Malavika Sarukkai in conjunction with the opening of Domains of Wonder: Selected Masterworks of Indian Painting.