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SUFI KATHAK - DANCE OF THE SOUL  Peter Jay Sharp Auditorium, Symphony Space, New York City. Tickets: : http://www.symphonyspace.org/event/7805-iaac-presents-sufi-kathak-diva-manjari-chaturvedi Orch: $50, IAAC members $44 ; Other: $35, IAAC members $30; Balcony: $20, IAAC members $15 April 9th, 2013. 7-9 pm. "Manjari dances in surrender to Him, to His Glory, to His Love and to His world there is an underlying lilting melody and strong rhythm in her dance, which depicts separation and union, the fire of the eternal dance of moth..." MANJARI CHATURVEDI is a leading exponent of the Indian classical dance and is acclaimed for being the creator and ONLY performing artist of Sufi Kathak. She has combined the mysticism of Sufi traditions with classical Indian dance to create a stunning new school of performance called Sufi Kathak. Thus, setting a historical step in the field of performing arts through the creation of a completely new artform, which remains original and yet follows the precedents of mystical traditions that are nearly 700 years old. In the last decade, Manjari has performed in more than 200 concerts all over the world including Europe (France, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, U.K. & Ireland), the Middle East (Dubai, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Kuwait), SouthEast Asia (Singapor e, Malaysia, Sri Lanka) and Central Asia (Turkmenistan,Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan) along with Australia and America. Manjari Chaturvedi is the creator and the only performing artist of Sufi Kathak. Conceptualised and created by Manjari, Sufi Kathak has taken 14 years of her intense work in Sufi music and classical dance. Introducing the mystique ofSufism in dance, she traveled to countries like Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan and worked with artists from Iran, Turkey and Morocco to study the music and dance forms related with Sufi thought. Bred of Manjari's knowledge and experience, Sufi Kathak melds the philosophical depth of Sufi poetry with the narrative beauty and grace of classical Indian dance forms to evolve a new school of performance that uses classical dance to narrate and interpret Sufi poetry. Even as Manjari is acclaimed for her efforts to create a new classical dance form, it has been an arduous journey for her as she trod upon a path not traveled earlier in classical art forms to create the emergence of a completely new art form based on a thought that was, till now, not extensively used in dance! This led to the evolution of Sufi Kathak, which works only on this one thought – the concept of formless Almighty. Sufi Kathak is a dance form that spans from earthly romance of Hindi folk to the evolved Sufi imagery of love in Persian poetry, from abeloved in flesh and blood to the abstract presence of the Almighty, from aform to formlessness. Making Sufi Kathak, the Dance of the Soul. While in existing classical Indian dance forms there is a focus on a beloved in flesh and blood, in physical form, it is the abstract presence of the Almighty that becomes the focal point for the Sufi Kathak dancer. Through more than a decade of Manjari's dedicated endeavours, Sufi Kathak, now, has its own visual entity separate from otherIndian classical dance forms. The poetry is separate, the use of language, the use of movements, the music genre to be used and the aesthetics are all specific for a Sufi Kathak dancer. Manjari, in her peerless journey, seamlessly blends her dance with diverse cross cultural music in exciting collaborations. With her own efforts, Manjari has made the dance form richer by adding new dimensions to the dance form with varying music creating a wide repertoire, which was earlier never a part of any classicaldance traditions by aligning Sufi Kathak with the Sufi music of Rajasthan, Kashmir, Qawwalli of Awadh, poetry of Bulleh Shah of Punjab and spiritual music of Iran. Sufi Kathak by Manjari transcends all religions to become a link bridging God and the devotees. It is synonymous with serenity, piety, mental peace and divine power, which is a symbol of truth. It is attracting the new generation at the international level, breaking barriers as an example of unity in diversity.   Akin to the moving meditation of the whirling dervishes in the Sufi tradition, the unique dance form called Sufi Kathak by Manjari Chaturvedi is representative of the great mystical traditions of the Indian subcontinent.

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The Indo-American Arts Council is a 501 ©3 not-for-profit secular arts organization passionately dedicated to promoting, showcasing and building an awareness of artists of Indian origin in the performing arts, visual arts, literary arts and folk arts. For information please visit www.iaac.us Indo-American Arts Council Inc. 517 East 87th St, Suite 1B, New York, NY 10128. Phone: 212 594 3685 Email: admin@iaac.us. Web: www.iaac.us

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