‘DAKSHINA’ at Rich Mix receives rave reviews, May 2018
May 2, 2018On April 20th at the East London venue Rich Mix, Akademi’s evening DAKSHINA packed a punch with breath-taking performances from “two leading classical Indian dancers in the UK” – KDC’s Kamala Devam in Bharata Natyam and Dr. Elena Catalano in Odissi – accompanied by live classical and non-classical Indian orchestras. The evening was sold-out and received enthusiastic reviews from the audience of both avid dance watchers and newcomers to classical Indian dance alike.
Along with performing repertoire learned from colleagues in California, Devam premiered her first original Bharata Natyam choreography Jati-Swara-Leela in collaboration with nattuvanar Smt. Pushkala Gopal, cellist Danny Keane and South Indian multi-percussionist Senthuran Premakumar. The piece featured original costume design by Martina Trottman and lighting design by Jai Morjaria. Respected dance critic Donald Hutera wrote in Pulse magazine:
“Devam’s self-choreographed finale Jati-Swara-Leela, [was] a semi-improvised display of virtuosity featuring dramatic rhythmic accompaniment by cellist Danny Keane. Devam, excited and magisterial, responded to his instrument’s deep throbs and hi-pitched scrapes with a whirligig vigour and speed… It was, in a word, exhilarating.”
Read the whole review here.
Jati-Swara-Leela will be on tour in the UK in the evening Ankusha and Other Mysteries this autumn.
Photo: Simon Richardson
