On May 31st and June 1st, 2019, Natick based NATyA Dance Collective will premiere Samara: Dancing the Everyday a t The Dance Complex. This collaborative Bharatanatyam project brings together a talented group of dancers and musicians to question the inherent suffering of everyday life by interpreting the beauty and pain of human relationships. The work is supported by a grant awarded from the Cambridge Cultural Council, a grant program of the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Bharatanatyam, a popular classical dance form from India, combines abstract percussive movements with praises of gods from the Hindu pantheon through storytelling. Audience members familiar with the style will recognize the signature geometric lines and complex rhythms of Bharatanatyam, often alternating with lyrical passages that convey intimate emotions and interactions. Those who are new to the style will find the visual spectacle and emotional resonance of the evening captivating. In this production, NATyA choreographers leverage the aesthetic traditions of Bharatanatyam to explore stories and themes that are seldom portrayed in this style. For example, the program features a section on a romance between two women and another on alienation and war in the age of individualism and pervasive social media.