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As part of an extensive residency leading up to their November 5 performance in the the Center for the Arts at George Mason University, 2022/2023 Mason Artists-in-Residence Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and Chitrasena Dance Company will participate in 10 events over the course of a week, including the following:
Artists in Conversation: Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and Chitrasena Dance Company
Co-presented by the City of Fairfax and the Center for the Arts at George Mason University
Tuesday, November 1 at 7 p.m.
Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center
3740 Old Lee Highway
Fairfax, VA 22030
Nrityagram Dance Ensemble of India and Sri Lanka’s Chitrasena Dance Company will perform excerpts from Āhuti and engage the audience in conversation about their one-of-a-kind community where students and teachers live and train together, their artistic inspirations drawn from Sanskrit poetry, as well as their efforts to preserve and maintain cultural tradition while growing it to larger audiences around the world. This event is also an open-to-the-public presentation of the Friends of the Center for the Arts Artists in Conversation Series.
The event is FREE, but registration is required as capacity is limited.
Masks are requested, but not required, as a courtesy and in consideration of the artist’s health and safety while on tour.
Wednesday, November 2:
- A lecture/demonstration with Fairfax County Public School system fourth-graders at Hunters Woods Elementary School
- Classroom discussion with George Mason University Game Design Program’s “Digital Game Design” course, taught by Prof. Boris Willis, exploring how technology including virtual reality plays a part in Nrityagram Dance Ensemble’s work
- A classroom discussion and performance with the George Mason University Dewberry School of Music “World Music” course taught by Prof. Christopher Troiano, featuring the musicians who perform onstage as part of Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and Chitrasena Dance Company’s collaborative work Āhuti
Thursday, November 3:
- A class at Dance Place in Washington, DC, (registration fee required). To register, click on November 3 on the adult classes calendar and sign up for the 9:30 a.m. Odissi Dance Class with Nrityagram Dance Ensemble.
- A livestreamed lecture for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at George Mason University, (for registered OLLI members)
- A movement-based workshop and discussion with George Mason University’s Sri Lankan Student Association, and other Indian and South Asian student groups on campus. Open to Mason students, faculty, and staff: register on Mason 360.
Friday, November 4:
- Two masterclasses with Mason School of Dance students
Nrityagram Dance Ensemble
In collaboration with Chitrasena Dance Company
Āhuti
Saturday, November 5 at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts at George Mason University
4373 Mason Pond Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030
Set to the sounds of live flute, violin, harmonium, manjira, and drums onstage, Āhuti is a mesmerizing performance and collaboration between Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and the Chitrasena Dance Company. Through the classical movements of Odissi dance, Nrityagram Dance Ensemble brings stories of the Hindu epics to life with their bodies. Chitrasena has been leading the development of Kandyan dance in Sri Lanka, being a key proponent to opening this dynamic style to women, whilst also preserving it as a cultural tradition. Nrityagram Dance Ensemble has been on The New York Times’ “Best Dance of the Year” list for two consecutive years. This performance is appropriate for all ages.
Tickets: $50, $43, $30; half-price for youth through Grade 12. Free tickets are available for Mason students, and faculty, staff, and alumni receive a 10% discount. Read more about Mason discounts.
Before the Performance
A pre-performance discussion will be led by Arpita Sabud, Odissi dancer and teacher at the India International School and Cultural Center and KalpaVriksha Center for Performing Arts, and will take place in Monson Grand Tier, which is located on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
After the Performance
The artists will participate in a post-performance discussion from the stage.
This engagement of Nrityagram Dance Ensemble is made possible through the ArtsCONNECT program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
This project is also supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.