About This Show

2016 Bessie Award-winning choreographer Joya Powell and her Movement of the People Dance Company present: Aconteceu/It Happened, Choreograped by Joya Powell. The piece is in memory of the 8 children tragically massacred by police in 1993 in front of the Candelária Church in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Original choreography created for The 2012 Performance Dance Ensemble at the Center for Dance Movement and Somatic Learning at Stony Brook University. 

Dancers: Brianna Anderson, Jenny Efremova, Brittany Grier, Solana Hoffmann-Carter, Megan Minturn, Rachel Moore, Leah Moriarty, Rebeca Rad, Larry Rosalez, Belinda Sáenz, Ricarrdo Valentine. Music: “No Tranco” & “Clariando” by Siri; “Dança das Mulheres” by Gilberto Gil; “Landscape of Memory: Sertão das Memorias” by Naná Vasconcelos; Costumes: Joya Powell, Jhia Jackson and Jenny Efremova. Poetry: Verna Hamilton.

Spilling Ink will present two different dances.  The first is Mahashakti: Verses from Lalitha Sahasranama Stotram. Choreographed by Uma Rama Rao, Lasya Priya (Hyderabad), interpreted by Vijay Palaparty and Nalini Prakash in Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam

 

Mahashakti, a piece in four scenes, celebrates divine female energy and power, Adi Parashakti. In the first segment, the dancers describe the different forms of the Mother Goddess—as Mahashakti, Mahadevi, Mahalakshmi and Maheswari. They describe her as the embodiment of all knowledge, auspiciousness and bliss. The second segment describes the sringara facet of the Mother Goddess—her graceful beauty and love. The third segment shows her in the form of Raja Rajeswari and also as witness to the tandava dance of her consort, the cosmic God Shiva. The final segment shows her battling demons and conquering evil—as a restorer and preserver of peace, shanti, in the world. The piece explores the dancers’ personal relationships with the divine, engaging in a conversation with the lyric and suggesting a sentiment of prayer and devotion, bhakti, throughout the choreography.

The second is Aakashaat Patitam Toyam, verses compiled and composed by Thangaswami Sarma. Music composed by Madurai N. Krishnan and Bhavani Kishore Kumar; choreographed and interpreted by Vijay Palaparty and Nalini Prakash in Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam

The piece sheds light on ancient and contemporary verses that speak to the power of spiritual fervor to transcend evil, and echo righteousness, justice and truth. Waters flow like truths from the skies, bathing humanity in spiritual energies to drown the woes of war and sadness with loving compassion, quenching parched individuals, strengthening them collectively for universal positivity and divine peace.

Spilling Ink is a multi-arts organization that has a mission to interpret, create, perform, and present performing, visual and literary arts of India and the diaspora. Through its interdisciplinary approach, the organization seeks to educate participants and engage audiences to deepen and enhance their understanding of India’s artistic and cultural contributions in the United States and around the world.   It is part of Spilling Ink’s goal to share theoretical- and experience-based perspectives on the incredible potential of arts-based therapies.