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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Shweta Malhotra
information@nayikas.org, 917-304-6370

The Nayikas Dance Theater Company in association with Alter Ego Productions proudly presents “TATVA – THE ELEMENTS”, a gala event celebrating the hybrid tendencies of design & aesthetics proliferating the contemporary arts & fashion of South Asia.

What: An evening comprising of two parts: a curated visual arts exhibition and a fashion show (featuring selections from fall collections of Rina Dhaka, Malini Ramani, Raghuvendra Rathore, Namrata Joshipura & Payal Singhal) animated by the kinetics of dance theater & multimedia.

Tickets $25 for Exhibition & Reception only
$125 for entire evening
When: Sept 27, 6pm – 11pm
6.30 pm-8 pm – Visual Arts Exhibition & Reception
8 pm-8.45 pm – Fashion Show (Open Seating Promptly at 8pm)
8.45 pm onwards – Buffet Dinner & Auction (Catered by The Leela Lounge, NYC)
Where: Tehresharan Gallery, 143 W 29 St (Btwn 6 & 7 Ave), New York City
Subways 1,N (28th St), B, D (34th St)
How: For tickets Call 917-304-6270, or
Email reservations@nayikas.org, or
Mail checks to Nayikas Dance Theater Co.,
910 Riverside Drive, 6H1, New York, NY – 10027

The Overall Event
‘Tatva’ (Sanskrit for the ‘elements’), is conceptualized as an event site that initiates veins of inquiry into contemporary South Asian culture to excavate perhaps a hidden common ‘element’ that pollinates its diverse artistic mediums. The idea is to explore and contemplate the interconnectedness and interdependence between performance, movement, visual arts & fashion crafts; to ‘mix up’ their roles as isolated disciplines and in the process find and exploit the possibilities it opens to expression & creative production. Continuing the dance theater company’s reputation of being ‘provocative’ & ‘non authentic’ (NY Times), Tatva lends itself to Nayikas’ deep engagement with redefining, provoking and challenging stereotypes of cultural authenticity; empowering its artists and audiences to extend and blur perceptions between art’s high mindedness & fashion’s populist nature, art’s connoisseurs & its consumers, art’s creation & its consumption.

The Fashion Show
Featuring select designs from the fall collections of leading Indian contemporary designers Rina Dhaka, Malini Ramani, Raghuvendra Rathore, Namrata Joshipura & Payal Singhal; the fashion show is choreographed by Myna Mukherjee, artistic director of Nayikas & produced by Shourin Roy of Alter Ego Productions. Sparkling on the cocktail circuit from Bombay to Monte Carlo to Beirut to Moscow (Malini Ramani); tempered under couture houses like DKNY & Oscar De la Renta (Raghuvendra Rathore); retailing at Henri Bendel, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Takashiyama (Namrata Joshipura); featured in Marie Claire Paris, Vogue London, Madame Figaro Paris & Vanity Fair (Rina Dhaka); having styled for MTV (Payal Singhal); this cross-section of designers from modern India & its diaspora have truly recalibrated the global presence of South Asian fashion in recent years. High-flying, celebrated & notorious, they have been responsible for the exciting & radical makeover of the South Asian fashion silhouette, proliferating venues ranging from international fashion ramps to trendy boutiques in NYC Noho like Indo-mix (partner for sourcing clothes). Nonconformist in line, fabric & form; assimilating styles & motifs from the past & present, east & west; the clothing selections for Tatva are effortlessly cross-cultural & beyond a monolithic or predictable aesthetic; all the while possessing a distinct indigenous ‘Indian-ness’.

The Exhibition
This part of the event, a group visual arts exhibition, provides a space of convergence for artists to raise and audiences to reflect upon tipping point issues pervasive in South Asian arts – tensions between its colonial past & global present, the sacred and the profane, traditionalism and modernism. The exhibition followed by an auction, is a collaborative presentation by Nayikas & Zamaana, a recently established effort contributing to the recognition of contemporary Indian art. Spanning perspectives of five contemporary artists Amit Jain, Rachana Nagarkar, Ajay Lakhera, Balaji Ponna & Kavita Nayar, the exhibition examines India’s evolving identity, as it commemorates 60 years of Independence, through photographs and paintings shown for the first time in the US. The works selected span a range of distinctive styles reflecting on the nature of a country where modern insight and aged habits are in constant flux—exploring notions of transformation and reinterpretation within the context of Indian culture. From mythological symbols to kitsch and calendar images, the artists define boundaries and interconnectedness, and explore the dynamic relationship between the traditional and modern. The included artworks can be previewed at www.zamaanaarts.com/tatva.html onwards from September 5th.

The Presenters
Acclaimed as “a glowing addition to the city’s mix’ by the Village Voice, Nayikas is New York's first resident Indian Odissi dance theater company; one of the only classical, contemporary and progressive dance ensembles in the South Asian Diaspora. Nayikas modernizes comprehension of the aesthetics of Odissi, India’s oldest classical dance form, dating back to 2nd Century B.C. Creating potent and theatrical dance pieces, the Nayikas tell stories that both privilege and resurrects often neglected, alternate voices of women, drawing from feminist iconography in Indian mythology, history and Diaspora. Thus preserving the essential spiritual core of the dance form while envisioning gender equality & promoting diversity of imagination in the often-patriarchal religiosity of these traditions. (www.nayikas.org)

Alter Ego Productions has been described as ‘a company to look out for’ by Theatermania. It is a South Asian Theater Company that brings together people from many different professional backgrounds sharing a common passion for theater. The company was founded in April 2002 by a group of individuals whose professional focus is not theater but who have a strong interest in theater and significant past experience in directing, acting, or production aspects. Alter Ego has brought to life Girish Karnad’s Hayavadana, Anuvab Pal’s Chaos Theory and Fatwa, Tom Stoppard’s Indian Ink, David Freeman’s A First Class Man, and for our forthcoming production Tariq Ali’s The Leopard and The Fox. (www.alteregoproductions.org)

Supported By

Posted by Shourin Roy at 03:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

General Pervez Musharraf has agreed to step down as Army chief before the next presidential elections according to Benazir Bhutto paving the way for her return. She also said that corruption charges would be dropped against her and dozens of other lawmakers as part of the negotiations to restore civilian rule.

The Supreme Court has been playing an active role in challenging Musharraf's authority and in a string of reversals re-instated an activist judge, ruled that former PM Nawaz Sharif could return to Pakistan, and admitted a petition filed by Qazi Hussain Ahmad, head of the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party, against Musharraf's dual role as president and military chief.

More details on the deal between Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto and encouraged by the US State Department which continues to play a low profile >>

Posted by Shourin Roy at 07:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

BBC interview with Tariq Ali.

For Part 2 go over here >>

Posted by Shourin Roy at 04:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The political circles are a buzz with a purported power sharing deal which will see the return of both Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif from exile. So has Musharraf started looking towards a legacy as a benevolent dictator. No, not really. This deal is being brokered by the US and the State Department as insurance to keep the General in power as he has been seriously weakened by the constiutional and judicial crisis in Pakistan which is just a few shades removed from emergency rule.

The move is considered as a way of broadening his appeal that is being eroded rapidly. The US fears that he might be ousted and replaced by a leader who might be less favourably deposed towards 'freedom lovers' and less inclined to help them in their GWOT.

The deal would involve in broad strokes Musharraf's continuing as the military ruler to make way for Benazir's return as Prime Minister, depending on whether the PPP will win next month's elections, which is looking increasingly likely. The US hopes that this arrangement will give legitimacy in the largest cricles in In return he will have to give up the Army Chief of staff position. Benazir will endorse his candidature for the Presidential elections. At issue is a law that bars former PMs of Pakistan to seek re-election. Benazir has to convince Musharraf to overturn that law. This has led to a backlash by the PML who are the governing party who see Musharraf as conceding too much to keep his hold on power.

This looks like a convenient deal brokered by the US to protect their interests. But will this be a liveable arrangement for Pakistan. Both Benazir and Nawaz Sharif have a long history of nepotism and corruption and enriched themselves when they were in power. There was very little outpouring of sympathy or support for Nawaz Sharif when he was ousted by Musharraf. Most Pakistanis will agree that democracy is a utopian dream that has benefited few and Army backed rule has actually seen their country's best growth. At the same time there is a vibrant press and a vociferous judiciary that seems to have found its foothold who are clamoring for change.

Sharing power with Musharraf of course, ensures that Benazir will have to temper populist anti US rhetoric for which her father was famous for.The army is much more notoriously subservient to US interests. However, dealing with the army as an inevitability in the political frame is something that most Pakistanis have gotten used to. It is the sudden rise in the hitherto quiescent Islamic clergy, into the political spectrum, in the last six years of Bush's GWOT and Musharraf' s rule, that needs to be of prime consideration in this power arranging deal. They are considered by many on the street as a bulwark against the US as an anti Muslim entity. To try and marginalize them would be folly.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 05:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Thanks to all those who came out and supported Alter Ego at their fundraiser on a rainy Friday evening on 17th August. We really appreciate it. China1 is a beautful little lounge with lots of nooks and crannies where people can unwind.

The food and drink kept the festivites going as DJ Kapil kept the crowd on their feet with his sufi and Bollywood mix. In between there was an AV clip that gave the crowd an preview of what the play was all about. There was also Swamiji, our resident palm reader who entertained his patrons with stories of how they would rule the world or grow their hair back on their balding heads. Saad also came looking very much like the Qaid e Azaam, dapper in his topi.

Thanks to the Alter Ego crew who really made this evening work. Pushkala, Sharad, Amrita, Arshiya, Kapil, Shubho, Ankur, Mitun, Saad. And a special thank you to Kaitlin and Ming manning the bar keeping the liquor and good cheer flowing. Brian for setting up the AV clip. Steve and Andrew for helping arrange this event.

Next time you are in the East Village, please check out China1.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 05:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)