Durga Devi Mani Manimaran from Singapore will give a Bharata Natyam recital accompanied live musicians – Usha Ramachandran, Madhavi Murali and Sashidaran Nair.

Durga trained at the Kalakshetra College of Fine Arts in Chennai under Smt Krishnaveni Lakshman. This is her first performance in Malaysia.

Date/Time: Saturday, 15 February 2003 @ 8.00pm
Venue: Temple of Fine Arts, Brickfields
Admission: FREE!!

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Durga has staged two Bharata Natyam recitals in the past – Natyam Bandham (2001) and Sringaar with Sri V Balagurunathan (2002). She has also created more contemporary works such as Lamenting showcased at the Melbourne Fringe Festival Fringe and a scene in Antigone performed by Lasalle-SIA College of Arts in Greece.

Lin Yuan Shang of Compagnie Eolipile which is currently presenting Petites Pièces will conduct a workshop this coming Saturday, courtesy of Sutra Dance Theatre and the Alliance Francaise Kuala Lumpur.

Date: Saturday, 15 February 2003
Time: 10.00am – 1.00pm
Venue: Sutra House (12 Persiaran Titiwangsa 3, Kuala Lumpur)
Admission: FREE!!
Contact: 03-4022 9669 (11.00am-5.00pm weekdays only)

Anthony Meh of Dua Space Dance Theatre will be starting two new contemporary classes.

Day/Times:
Every Thursday (starting 13 February 2003)
7.00-8.30pm: Fundamental / Beginners
8.30-10.00pm: Elementary

Venue:
Dua Space Dance Theatre Academy
12 A Jalan Kenari 11, Puchong Jaya
47100 Puchong

Fee: RM65/month for either class

Contact: 03-8070 0799

Santnu Chakraborty, former disciple of dance icon, Sonal Mansingh, and known also as a multi-media artist working in television and the visual arts, will present HariHara dedicated to the two main Gods of the Hindu Pantheon, Vishnu and Siva.

Santnu has been working on male oriented Bharata Natyam items concentrating on movements more suited to the male body. He has been making waves in New Delhi, garnering good reviews. This is his first time performing in Malaysia.

Dates/Time: 9 – 10 February, 2003 (Sun-Mon) @ 8.30pm
Venue: Amphi-Sutra, (12 Persiaran Titiwangsa 3, Kuala Lumpur)
Tel: 03 – 4022 9669 (11am – 5pm weekdays only)
Admission: Minimum donation of RM30 each
Students: RM20 each (limited to fifty and student identification required)

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Vishnu is also known as Hari in his manifestation as Krishna, the sustainer of the Universe. His Maya, or divine illusionary play, creates an ever-refreshing transformation of our activities.

Siva, on the other hand, is the enigmatic God, the Destroyer. However, he is also known as Nataraja, or Lord of the Dance.

In Amma two of Malaysia’s well-known Bharata Natyam dancers, Guna and Nadarajan Muniandy combine forces to present a full evening of dance with live music dedicated to the Goddess as World Mother.

The repertoire will highlight the Tantric aspect of the Goddess, that God is woman. Concentrating first on the vigorous, warrior-like quality and invincibility of the Goddess in her various triumphs and manifestations, the repertoire later brings out her more meditative and sustaining qualities.

Dates/Time: 7 – 8 February, 2003 (Fri-Sat) @ 8.30pm
Venue: Amphi-Sutra (12 Persiaran Titiwangsa 3, Kuala Lumpur)
Tel: 03 – 4022 9669 (11am – 5pm weekdays only)
Admission: Minimum donation of RM30 each
Students: RM20 each (limited to fifty and student identification required)

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Guna is Artistic Director of Khazanah Stage Creations while Nadarajan is Artistic Director of Subraanjali Dance Theatre. The evening recital will be accompanied by well-known carnatic vocalist Padma Subramaniam and Ajit Dass on the nattuvangam. The latter is also a well-known dancer and teacher based in Johor Bharu, heading his own dance institution, Suvarna Creations.

In the Tantric tradition, it is the female principle as personified by Sakti, or the creative and executive power of the Universe, which manifests itself through the divine pursuits of the Goddess, and propels the Universe to be what it is.

MyDance Alliance has organised a late afternoon gathering cum makan on Sunday (16 February) and everyone is invited – members, friends and anyone interested in knowing more about the organisation and the people involved.

Members of MyDance rarely have a chance to meet, talk and get to know each other better. What better way than over food?

The main people behind MyDance (members of the committee) will explain what the organisation is about and detail some of the major projects that are either already underway or still in the planning stages – the 2003 Dance Box Series and the second MyDance Festival, MDF 2003.

MyDance however, is not just for the committee. There are many ways in which you could also play role.

Are you interested in the Creation & Presentation of dance performances? Join Mew Chang Tsing and you can experience directly many aspects of putting on a performance. Perhaps you are interested in Education & Training? Help Gan Chih Pei as she organises workshops by local and foreign artists.

These are just two of the five networks that MyDance has incorporated into its structure so that it can address different aspects of dance. The other networks are Research & Documentation (DrAnis), Status & Welfare (Karen Liew) and Management & Promotion (Amin Hassan). They might have something that would interest you more.

Or perhaps you are curious about what is happening in dance at a regional level? If so, you might like to attend the 2003 World Dance Alliance – Asia Pacific / Congress on Research in Dance / International Council of Kinetography Laban International Conference to be held at the National Taipei University of the Arts, Taiwan in August 2003. Participants there will investigate dance as a healing agent in a cataclysmic environment and explore representations of identity across international, individual, cultural and temporal boundaries.

If nothing else, this is a wonderful opportunity for you to have a say in what is being done by MyDance and to pass on any suggestions that you might have for the future.

Gathering Details
Date: 16 February 2003 (Sunday)
Time: 5.00 – 7.00pm
Venue: Home of the President, Mew Chang Tsing
(41 Jalan 20/2, 46300 Petaling Jaya)
Cover charge: RM10 per person for food and drinks

Contact: 019-213 1923 (Dayang) or 03-78778706 (RiverGrass) for further information

Organised by Kakiseni.Com, the Cameronian Performing Arts Awards Ceremony will take place 28 February 2003 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

The nominations for Dance include:

Best Choreographer:
Choo Tee Kuang – La La Li La Tang Pong 2002
Judimar Monfils – Curfew
Loke Soh Kim – La La Li La Tang Pong 2002
Zaridah Malik – Dance of the Weave

Best Solo Dancer:
Judimar Monfils – When They Dance 3
Umesh Shetty – La La Li La Tang Pong 2002
Weijun – Sinful Legs, Sacred Body

Best Lighting:
Loke Soh Kim – Curfew
Tan Eng Heng – Chicken Parts 8

Best Group Dancers:
Judimar Monfils and dancers – Curfew
Nyoba and dancers – When They Dance 3
P’nang Dance Station – La La Li La Tang Pong 2002

Dancer/Choreographer Mew Chang Tsing of RiverGrass Dance Theatre was nominated for Best Actor for her role in Stories for Amah.

Ramli Ibrahim of Sutra Dance Theatre has written a two-part play, Mak Su & Sarasa, to be directed by Faridah Merican and featuring Sabera Shaik.

Mak Su is the story of a MakYong diva in her late sixties who, caught by surprise at the sudden appearance of an old friend, bewails the passing of a great era of MakYong – an ancient traditional dance theatre form that no longer finds its relevance in contemporary society.

Mak Su regales her visitor with stories of yore, the heyday of MakYong when people waited, laughed and cried along with the performers. Although poor, she is a contented woman, at peace with herself and with life’s cruelties. Her art has given true meaning to her life and blessed her with rich memories.

Sarasa is about a woman who has just found out her daughter Komala has eloped with the tailor’s son – the son of her worst enemy. Enjoy a scene reminiscent of an Indian movie sequel – with exaggerated melodrama, breast beating, hair pulling and wailing!

Penang
14 – 15 February 2003 @ 8.30pm; 16 February 2003 @ 3.00pm
Venue: The Actors Studio Greenhall
(Zhong Zheng School Memorial Centre, 32 Lebuh Light, 10200 Penang)
Admission by Donation: RM 25 (Adults) & RM 15 (Students)
Contact: 04-263 5400

Kuala Lumpur
20 – 22 March 2003 @ 8.30pm; 23 March 2003 @ 3.00pm
Venue: The Actors Studio Box
(Plaza Putra, Dataran Merdeka, Jalan Raja, 50050 Kuala Lumpur)
Tickets: RM 27 (Adults) & RM 15 (Students)
Contact: 03-2694 5400 / 2692 5927

In conjunction with Chinese New Year, Batu Dance Theatre will stage Dance, the Colour Rouge. Directed and choreographed by Vincent Tan Lian Ho, there are eight pieces – The Little Dude Stone Dance, Blossom in Countryside, Joyfulness, Ball Game, Rural Vista, Calling on Spring, The Breeze and Crimson.

Date/Times:
12 February 2003 @ 3.00pm and 8.00pm (two performances)

Venue:
Batu Dance Theatre
(3rd floor, 1 Persiaran Pegaga, Taman Bayu Perdana, 41200 Klang

Tickets:
RM5 (children under 12 years), RM10 (students), RM15 (adults), RM35 (family of two adults and two children)

For further information contact: 03-3324 7568 or 012-656 9065