October 25, 2008  
 
Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose, the Bay Area's premiere South Indian classical dance company presents their Fall Concert Series entitled "Rivers - a Mystical Journey."  Conceived by Shantha Raman, the performance features choreography by Abhinaya Artistic Director and Founder Mythili Kumar and principal dancer Rasika Kumar.  Original music has been specially composed by Southern California guest artist and vocalist Babu Parameshwaran.   

Dates: Saturday, November 15, 2008 at 7pm; Sunday, November 16, 2008 at 4pm  
Venue: Mexican Heritage Theater 1700 Alum Rock Avenue, San Jose CA 95116  

Choreography: Mythili Kumar and Rasika Kumar 
Concept: Shantha Raman 

"The concert presented with live music, will present vignettes depicting the sacred rivers of India and the unceasing flow of life on their banks. Life and the river are analogous," said Mythili Kumar.  "We are honored to welcome Babu Parameswaran who is the director of the Keerthana School of Indian Music & Fine Arts in Southern California.  He is a versatile artist who performs both Carnatic and Hindustani styles of music. He is also a keyboard artist composing innovative music on the newly developed synthesizers which will be showcased during the performance."  Well-known Bay Area Hindustani music exponent Rita Sahai will also be featured as a guest musician. 

The featured performers include principal Abhinaya dancer and choreographer Rasika Kumar, along with senior dancer Radhika Kannan; company dancers Preeti Vissa, Anjana Dasu, Yatrika Ajaya, Lakshmi Venkatesan, Leena Kadakia, and Pooja Sohoni; guest dancer Shirni Surapaneni; and ten other young dancers. Artistic Director Mythili Kumar will dance a small role as well. Musicians include Babu Parameshwaran (vocals and music composition), Rita Sahai (vocals), Mythili Kumar & Malavika Kumar (nattuvangam), N Narayan (mridangam & kanjira), Shanthi Narayan (violin), Ragavan Manian (flute) and Ravi Gutala (tabla). 

'Rivers - A Mystical Journey' 
From ancient times, in India, rivers have been given immense honor and respect. With their cool, sustaining and satisfying waters that promoted the growth of civilizations, rivers were compared to the nurturing mother. A dip in a holy river is said to give the devotee eternal salvation. As a boatman makes his mystical journey down these five rivers he recounts the amazing stories and visions that the rivers invoke.

The concert opens with ancient hymns in praise of the five sacred rivers of India which are Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Godavari, and Kaaveri.  Venerated as goddesses, the rivers purify the earth and promise 'moksha' eternal liberation for the soul.  The story of the majestic Ganga is dramatically portrayed as she duels with Lord Shiva on her way down from the heavens. Next, Yamuna revels in the legends of Krishna that take place along her banks. This is followed by a contemporary narrative of the chaos that results from the many dams constructed along the Narmada river and the ensuing protests.

The second half of the performance features the epic story of the prince Rama and wife Sita whose idyllic life along the banks of the Godavari is disturbed by the lustful Soorpanakha (Mythili Kumar). Finally, the legend of the river Kaaveri is portrayed in a dramatic solo by principal dancer Rasika Kumar with special lyrics composed by Madurai Muralidharan.

Tickets:    
Free for "Friends of Abhinaya" members.  
Donor:  $25; General:  $15; Students/Seniors: $10; Family of four:  $45 (2 Gen & 2 Stu/Sr)  Tickets on the Web: www.sulekha.com/abhinaya.   
For tickets call Abhinaya Dance Company at (408) 983-0491.  Or send check and self-addressed envelope to: Abhinaya Dance Company, 52 Harold Avenue, San Jose CA 95117   
e-mail: abhinaya_sj@yahoo.com  /  www.abhinaya.org 

Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose 
Artistic Director Mythili Kumar founded the Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose in 1980 to present innovative and professional-quality performances of South Indian classical dance. Through rhythmic movements and stylized gestures, stories from Hindu mythology are retold in classical dance drama format.  Since 1986, Abhinaya has staged several full-length dance dramas choreographed by Mythili Kumar. Abhinaya is a leading multi-cultural organization in the South Bay, known both for its adherence to tradition as well as its innovative multi-cultural collaborations 

Abhinaya's programs are supported, in part, by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San Jose; the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation; the National Endowment for the Arts; the California Arts Council; Silicon Valley Community Foundation; Artists Support Program, a program of the Fund for Folk Culture supported by grants from the Ford Foundation and the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation; Arts Council Silicon Valley - ACSV (in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the California Arts Council), ACSV in partnership with Adobe Systems Incorporated; individual donations and matching corporate donations.