April
20, 2005
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South
Asian Culture Featured in a Series of Events
at Ramapo College
(Mahwah) – The
School of Contemporary Arts at Ramapo College of New Jersey
will present “Re-envisioning South Asia: Cultures
at Crossroads” on the College campus Tuesday, May 3 through
Thursday, May 5. Admission is free and the public is
invited to attend. For information about each event,
call 201.684.7813.
Breast
Bequeather, a short play by Gargi Mukherjee of the Epic
Actors Workshop, NJ will be presented from
5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on May 3. A reception with the artist, featuring Indian
snacks and refreshments, will be held at 6:30 p.m. The
play is an adaptation of highly acclaimed author Mahasweta
Devi’s short story of the same title and vividly portrays
the struggles of a woman’s life within the confines
of a rigidly defined class structure. The mission of
the Epic Actors Workshop has been to showcase
and underscore the importance of South
Asian theaters, mostly Bangla theaters, performances and
arts within the New York metropolitan community and in the
larger context of mainstream American culture.
On
May 4 from 1 – 2 p.m., there will be a slide-show
presentation, “An Introduction to Mughal Painting, c.
1550-1700,” featuring Islamic art from South Asia. Navina
Haider of the Metropolitan Museum of Art will give the presentation
in the College’s H-Wing Auditorium, to be followed by
a question and answer session.
The
Ananya Dance Theater, based in Minnesota,
will present “Bandh: A
Meditation on Dreams” from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. in
the Sharp Theater on May 5. A reception with the artists
and a light Indian dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. The
Ananya Dance Theater is led by choreographer and artistic director
Ananya Chatterjea. The dancers
will present excerpts from the theater’s newest
production, featuring musical composition by Shubha Mudgal,
a Hindustani classical singer and composer. “Bandh,” a
project on women’s dreams, is inspired by the yogini
temples of Orissa, India where female saints
are imagined as dancing in their spiritual
ecstasy, darkening the sky with their flying
hair.
This
program is made possible by a Ramapo Foundation
Grant, with additional support from the Office of Student
Affairs, Student Activities Platinum Series, International
Events Committee and the Women’s Center, and is promoted as part of the
College’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Activities.
For additional information, please contact Dr. Ruma Sen, 201.684.7813.
