Tag: dance

Lifestyle, Reel SpinLeave a comment

Mallika Sarabhai’s ‘The Colors of Her Heart’ – April 17, 2019 @ the Ailey Citigroup Theatre, NYC

SITHARA

The Colors of Her Heart is a spell binding, dance-theatre-multimedia production, choreographed and directed by Mallika Sarabhai, that uses the haunting lyrics of British musician Samia Malik with the creativity visual imagery and story creating skills of Yadavan Chandran. On the stage, six women tell their poignant stories bringing awareness into the issue of gender inequality. 

What do all women across the world share as experiences? Whatever the color of their skins, whatever their language and culture, the single identity that leads to their exploitation and violence against them is their gender. With songs in Urdu and English, and stories that are both personal and universal, the heartful composition draws you into the world of women and their lives, dwelling on their experiences of vulnerability, love, pain, rejection, discrimination and violation. 

The ballet shifts between powerfully spoken monologues as accounts of the performers, group and solo dances, emotive pieces, even a ghazal that come together rhythmically with the bilingual live music by Samia Malik. The pieces reflect upon the common thread that binds all women, bringing together not just the stories of six women, but the pains, travails and victories of women of all nations. The Colors of Her Heart plays at The Ailey Citigroup Theatre on 405 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019. Continue reading “Mallika Sarabhai’s ‘The Colors of Her Heart’ – April 17, 2019 @ the Ailey Citigroup Theatre, NYC”

Community, Reel SpinLeave a comment

Taj Express: The Bollywood Musical Revue

SITHARA

Civic Theatres Toronto presents the glitter and sparkle of Bollywood with the Canadian premiere of Taj Express, at Toronto’s St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts Theatre November 23 – December 1, 2019. Tickets go on sale to the public this Friday, January 18, 10AM and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.ca, by phone, or in person at select Civic Theatres Toronto box offices.

Set to an unforgettable soundtrack featuring the songs of Academy Award-winning composer A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours) Taj Express explodes with the sounds of India and captures the vibrant, expressive spirit of the world of Bollywood movies that have been entertaining billions of people for generations. Through a fusion of film, dance, and music, this dazzling international sensation takes audiences on a live cinematic journey through modern Indian culture and society. The production is a high energy celebration of new India’s pop music, Bollywood culture, and deep traditions featuring colorful costumes, joyful dance, and thrilling live music.

Featuring a cast of 26 and 3 on-stage musicians, Taj Express is full of high-energy music and sensational dance scenes. Continue reading “Taj Express: The Bollywood Musical Revue”

India, LifestyleLeave a comment

‘Classical music and arts represent India’s cultural glory’-Vice President

SITHARA
Art and dance forms act as bridge between the value systems of ancient India and the new generation: Vice President
Government, artists and musicians to nurture and propagate Indian classical Music and Art forms

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that art and dance forms act as bridge between the value systems of ancient India and the new generation. He was addressing the gathering after inaugurating the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Brahma Gana Sabha, in Chennai today. The Minister for Fisheries and Fishery Development, Tamil Nadu, Shri D. Jayakumar and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

The Vice President presented – Gaana Padhmam Award to legendary classical musician, Dr. K.J. Yesudoss, Naatya Padhmam Award to Smt. Malavika Sarukkai and Naataka Padhmam Award to Shri Varadharajan.

The Vice President said that Classical music and arts represent India’s cultural glory and they represent the eternal and everlasting principles of life that promote discipline, obedience and peaceful coexistence, he added.

Shri Naidu said that music in any form acts as an equalizer. It has no barriers or boundaries. It speaks universal language, he said adding that music, art and culture promote the concept of oneness.

Continue reading “‘Classical music and arts represent India’s cultural glory’-Vice President”

Community, India, NationLeave a comment

Panorama India to mark India’s Independence Day by showcasing India’s culture and heritage

SITHARA
INDIA DAY FESTIVAL AND GRAND PARADE EXPECTED TO DRAW OVER 50,000 PEOPLE AT CITY HALL

  More than 50,000 people are expected to converge at Nathan Philips Square to celebrate the 19th Annual India Day Festival and Grand Parade on Sunday, August 19, 2018.   Organized by Panorama India, with the support of Consulate General of India, the all-day event to celebrate India’s culture and heritage will present music and dance performances, a kids zone and an international bazaar with 100 kiosks exhibiting fashion, jewellery, handicrafts and an array of food.  The King of Bhangra Malkit Singh, Indo-Canadian singer Parichay and Indian Actor Pukhraj Bhalla will be on hand to perform for the massive crowds.

The event kicks off with the National Anthem at 1pm followed by the Grand Parade, marshalled by Bollywood actor Jimmy Sheirgill.  According to organizers, the grand parade will have 20 floats representing the various States of India put together by the diverse number of cultural groups in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The parade will begin at Nathan Phillips Square, journey west to University Avenue, turning North to Dundas, East to Yonge Street, South to Queen Street and culminating back at City Hall.

Consul General of India in Toronto, Amb. Dinesh Bhatia will preside over the India Day event with participation from several political dignitaries from all levels of government. Continue reading “Panorama India to mark India’s Independence Day by showcasing India’s culture and heritage”

CommunityLeave a comment

#BollywoodMonster Mashup ready for monstrous audience in Mississauga

SITHARA

Bollywood fans get hyped! The season of #BollywoodMonster Mashup, presented by TD Bank Group is well underway after the the festival’s successful kickoff event, the #BollywoodMonster Teaser Party on Friday, July 6 at the FLY Nightclub.

The celebrations are set to continue with the #BollywoodMonster Family Day and Finale on July 21, #BollywoodMonster Concert on July 20 and #BollywoodMonster VIP & Media Cocktail Reception on July 19, which are all part of the largest South Asian festival in Canada’s eighth year.

Aaman Trikha, brought to you by TELUS, headlines the #BollywoodMonster Finale, which kicks off at 6 PM on Saturday, July 21 at Mississauga Celebration Square. Trikha is known as the voice of Akshay Kumar in Hookah Bar (Khiladi 786) and Salman Khan in Prem Leela (Prem Ratan Dhan Payo) with a number of other Bollywood hits under his belt. The #BollywoodMonster Orchestra will also return to the festival, blowing people’s minds by featuring top 40 hits from George Michael, Black Eyed Peas, and Gloria Estefan, mashed up with Bollywood hits from films such as Ram Balram, Don and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. Singer, songwriter and composer Himmy and the Bollywood Rock Band, dance duo Giggle Queens, and dance group Shiamak Showkids will also take the stage throughout the evening.

Families with kids of all ages can enjoy the #BollywoodMonster Family Day festivities, starting at 2 PM on July 21. Continue reading “#BollywoodMonster Mashup ready for monstrous audience in Mississauga”

CommunityLeave a comment

Bollywood stars to mingle in Mississauga at the #BollywoodMonster VIP reception

SITHARA
Cocktail reception for the largest South Asian festival in Canada has limited tickets available for the public

Mississauga, ON: #BollywoodMonster Mashup, presented by TD, is gearing up to kick off its eighth season of the largest South Asian festival in Canada with the #BollywoodMonster VIP & Media Cocktail Reception. With limited tickets available to the public, the July 19 reception will be held at C Banquets inside the Mississauga Civic Centre, starting at 8 PM.

In addition to the whirlwind of fun Bollywood fans can expect on July 20 and 21 at Mississauga Celebration Square, the reception presents an annual behind-the-scenes party with #BollywoodMonster Mashup’s biggest celebrities, artists and media all gracing the guest list. Fans will be able to meet this year’s Bollywood stars: Aaman Trikha, brought to you by TELUS (voice of Salman Khan in Prem Leela) and Khushboo Grewal, (voice of Sunny Leone in Pink Lips and actor from Carry on Jatta) at the reception, as well as other performers from this year’s festival.  Attendees will also enjoy hors d’oeuvres, drinks and the opportunity to rub elbows with Bollywood celebrities, performers, and business and community leaders. The #BollywoodMonster VIP & Media Cocktail Reception has a limited number of tickets on sale, so make sure to grab your ticket before they sell out at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/bollywoodmonster-vip-and-media-cocktail-reception-tickets-47087613319?ref=estw

Continue reading “Bollywood stars to mingle in Mississauga at the #BollywoodMonster VIP reception”

UncategorizedLeave a comment

TORONTO DANCE CONNOISSEURS GET THE RARE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAIN WITH THE LEGENDARY PANDIT BIRJU MAHARAJ

SITHARA

A Unique opportunity to train with the most extraordinary artist in the history of Kathak dance

 After the phenomenal success of Dance Workshops with the legendary Saroj Khan in 2016, and Shampa Gopikrishna in 2017, Sanskriti Arts (www.sanskritiarts.ca) is all set to present Dance Diaries 2018 with Legendary Pandit Birju Maharaj and Saswati Sen.

Pandit Birju Maharaj, an icon in the space of Kathak dance in India, is from the Maharaj family of Kathak dancers.  He began teaching the dance form at the age of 13 at Sangeet Bharti followed by the Bharatiya Kala Kendra and the Kathak Kendra in New Delhi where he was Head of Faculty, and opened his own dance school, Kalashram, after retirement.  He has choreographed Kathak dance sequences for many Bollywood films including Dedh Ishqiya, Umrao Jaan, and Bajirao Mastani directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and won many awards over the years including the Padma Vibhushan

“Sanskriti Arts brings its third chapter through its Dance Diaries banner in July for dance enthusiasts to acquire the art and get a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn and perform with the maestro himself, who has devoted a lifetime to the kathak form of classical dance,” says Puja Amin, founder of Sanskriti Arts.  Continue reading “TORONTO DANCE CONNOISSEURS GET THE RARE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAIN WITH THE LEGENDARY PANDIT BIRJU MAHARAJ”

CommunityLeave a comment

#BollywoodMonster Mashup brings plenty of activities on Family Day

SITHARA

The largest South Asian festival in Canada, #BollywoodMonster Mashup presented by TD, brings even more fun and free activities to festival-goers this time around at Mississauga Celebration Square. On July 21, as part of the #BollywoodMonster Family Day starting at 2pm, there will be a flurry of action to choose from including the KidZone with various games and activities, shopping, finger-licking food, free dance workshops and more.

“The KidZone is an integral part of the #BollywoodMonster Family Day experience, and we look to continue to grow it at this year’s festival. On behalf of the MonstrARTity team, we’d like to thank Toronto Area Ford Dealers for bringing the free mini car rides to the KidZone for #BollywoodMonster Family Day”, says Executive Director of MonstrARTity, Vikas Kohli. “It’s just as exciting that we will have some very skillful chefs who will be providing free cooking demos at the ever-expanding ChefZone. We have free parking for everyone so don’t miss out on the eighth season of this great festival that starts at 2 PM!

In collaboration with Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA), and Heritage Mississauga, the #BollywoodMonster KidZone presents an exciting array of free arts and crafts such as creating pinwheels, bowl painting and flyable kites. Free games will also be provided courtesy of #MonsterArts for Youth and The Vaarso Foundation, who will be bringing a giant snakes and ladders board game, Continue reading “#BollywoodMonster Mashup brings plenty of activities on Family Day”

Articles, Community, Reel SpinLeave a comment

Cirque de Solieil’s ‘Corteo’ Brings a New Kind of Circus to Town!

SITHARA
–By Nita Balani

Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Corteo’ opened at The Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa for a limited engagement of six shows until Sunday June 24 and will be doing the Canadian tour with stops in Toronto (December), Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City and Vancouver, amongst other cities.

Thought to be inspired by the work ‘The Portrait of an Artist as a Clown (National Gallery of Canada)’, the production has enthralled 8 million people worldwide since its debut in 2005 and is now seen in a more contemporary version. It brings the circus world of tumblers, acrobats, jugglers, celestial creatures, and many more wondrous acts to life. Corteo, which means a joyous procession, is a festive parade by a clown, Mauro, who has passed on and is a celebration of his life and the people he left behind. The sets are simple yet spectacular to portray the celestial world and the one we live in as Mauro pictures his life and funeral taking place through various enthralling acts. The show depicts quiet, graceful angels taking care of Mauro and is juxtaposed with the humorous buffoonery of his friends and circus colleagues.

The spectacle is divided into several acts each of which display a different type of art or circus skill. It opens with the mastery of the acrobats on swinging chandeliers which is breathtakingly beautiful and unique. Continue reading “Cirque de Solieil’s ‘Corteo’ Brings a New Kind of Circus to Town!”

CommunityLeave a comment

CeleBrampton: Our City. Our Day.

SITHARA

​​CeleBrampton kicks off summer in the city on Saturday, June 9, from 11 am to 9 pm in downtown Brampton. This two-time Top 100 Festival and Event in Ontario award winner is an annual one-day community celebration that showcases Brampton’s open, friendly, diverse community and provides an opportunity for residents to learn about City initiatives and services.

 Parking will be available at the four garages Downtown. Residents also have the option to travel to and from CeleBrampton with Brampton Transit for a dollar. This applies to cash fares only.

 This year’s event will take place across the downtown and include the following fun, family-friendly activities:

 Garden Square, 11 am – 9 pm

·       Garden Square will come alive with community activities and entertainment. The Main Stage will feature all local entertainment with interactive dance classes and live music performances.

·       Also included will be Paint by Number: Community Art Project on the large Muskoka chair, an interactive video booth, the popular MyBrampton sign and more!

 Main Street North, 11 am – 9 pm

·       Celebrating Brampton’s global flavours, 15+ vendors will line the street selling a variety of authentic cultural cuisine. Continue reading “CeleBrampton: Our City. Our Day.”