Apsaras Arts Academy in Little India, Singapore
With over four decades of experience in creating and showcasing acclaimed international dance productions, Apsaras Arts has grown into a premiere performing arts company and a dance academy with a strong focus on classical Indian dance. Over the years, Apsaras Arts graduates have established themselves as dance artistes, choreographers and dance teachers in Singapore and overseas. Apsaras Arts Academy is commencing to provide classes in Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, and Mohiniattam in the heart of Little India in Singapore. Apsaras Arts will be launching new batch of classes for the following levels: Register For Classes Here
New Narratives for Indian Dance: Exploring Ramayana through India and Indonesia
Apsaras Arts, the creators of the acclaimed dance production “Angkor – An Untold Story”, are planning for their next adventure with a mega dance production “Anjaneyam – Hanuman’s Ramayana” co-produced with Esplanade-Theatres on the Bay. The production features dancers and musicians from Indonesia, India and Singapore, taking the audiences on a spectacular journey, as the tale of the Ramayana unfolds through the life of Hanuman, the revered monkey God. Apsaras Arts will be premiering this exciting new work in November 2017 at the Esplanade.Apsaras Arts collaborates with National Library Board for a series of interactive lec-dem sessions “New Narratives for Indian Dance”, as part of Got To Move 2017 initiative by National Arts Counciland MCCY, conducted at the Ang Mo Kio public library, and Tampines regional library. A similar session will be held at Library@Esplanade as part of Dan:s Festival 2017 by Esplanade Theatres on the Bay. The audience will be able to hear more on the concept from its artistic director Aravinth Kumarasamy and catch a sneak preview of Javanese and Indian dance sequences Admission Free by Registration Please find details of the sessions and links for online registrations. Ang Mo Kio Library : Saturday 15th October 2017 | 4:00 – 5:00 pm Peatix link: gtm-amklibrary.peatix.com Tampines Library : Sunday 22nd | 5:00 – 6:00 pm Peatix links: gtm-tampineslibrary.peatix.com Library@Esplanade for dan:s Festival 2017 : Saturday 21st October | 4:00 – 5:30 pm
Photo for the week from Anjaneyam: Hanuman’s Ramayana
Sita recollects the episode of Rama trying to catch Maaricha disguised as the Golden Deer, a collaborative choreography of the dance genres of Indian classical dance – Bharatanatyam and Javanese classical dance. Featuring Kalakshetra alumni Vikas Parayalil from SIFAS, Singapore as Rama and Yuni Ratnasari from Indonesia as Sita. This scene in the production Anjaneyam employs Black Light theatre style of stage setting, to enhance the audience experience of Sita’s recollection. The distinctive characteristics of “black theatre” are the use of black curtains, a darkened stage, and “black lighting” (UV light), paired with fluorescent costumes in order to create intricate visual illusions. This “black cabinet” technique was used by Georges Méliès, and by theatre revolutionary Konstantin Stanislavski (especially in his production of Cain). The technique, paired with the expressive artistry of dance, mime and acrobatics of the performers is able to create remarkable spectacles. A key principle of Black Light Theatre is the inability of the human eye to distinguish black objects from a black background. This effect results in effective invisibility for any objects not illuminated by the ‘black light’. The second optical principle behind Black Light Theatre is the effect of UV light on fluorescent objects. Black lights actually emit as much light as ‘normal’ lights, but at a frequency that humans cannot detect. While most objects either absorb UV light or reflect it back at the same frequency at which it came in, fluorescent objects absorb UV light then re-emit it at a longer wavelength that human eyes can detect. The combined effect is that designers can make some objects appear as bright as if the room were fully lighted, while making other objects appear as dark as if the room were completely dark. 3D Projection Mapping Set Design by Himanshu Ghosh and his team from Knownsense studios Light Design by Gyan Dev Singh Costume Design by Mohanapriyan ThavarajahConcept and Artistic Direction by Aravinth Kumarasamy Please check out ANJANEYAM: HANUMAN’S RAMAYANA in our Repertoire