Classical fantasy to make its debut this month

A Bharatanatyam dance opera, fusing EDM, Carnatic music, and video games will offer visually amplified glimpses of South India's culture

Classical fantasy to make its debut this month

The dance troupe

India's first fantasy Bharatanatyam dance opera - inspired by the magical cultures of South India and the dreams of math genius Srinivas Ramanujan - will soon be presented live in Mumbai.

After a successful run in New Delhi last month, Antariksha Sanchar, which blends classical dance and video game visuals along with Carnatic and electronic music, will be hosted by Red Bull Music at the Royal Opera House.

Jayalakshmi Eshwar

While Bharatanatyam exponent Jayalakshmi Eshwar will be leading the dance troupe, her performance will be scored by a ensemble, fronted by Hyderabad-based musician Murthovic, and will feature the exceptional work of visual artist Avinash Kumar, aka Thiruda. "The production is complex as it fuses electronic and Carnatic music and animation. It is definitely more challenging than my previous performances as the choreography is done keeping in mind the dream sequence of the protagonist," says Eshwar.

The show has been in the making for over a year now. Eshwar along with Murthovic and Thiruda has been swinging between cities for practice so that all their performances were well synchronised.

Other Artistes

When asked how they managed to schedule meets and prepare for the act, Murthovic says, "The first six months went into ideation. I live in Hyderabad, Avinash is in Goa and Jayalakshmi is in Delhi, so we had to travel back and forth and ensure that everything was well-planned. We spent the next few months recording. Finally, we worked on synchronising all the acts together. The opera is almost like a movie, just more visually rich because you are seeing everything live."

Thiruda says Antariksha Sanchar involves transmedia storytelling - a technique of telling a story across multiple platforms and formats using digital technology. "This will be the first instance of such a cultural experience. We hope that it signifies India's strengths on the global music and arts scene," he says.

When: November 22, 7.30 pm
Where: Royal Opera House, Mama Paramanand Marg, Girgaum
RSVP: https://www.redbull.in/antarikshamumbai

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