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May 28, 2012
 Dear Members,
As the month of May which is also celebrated as South Asian Heritage Month in Ontario comes to a close, I wanted to take some time and pay a very special tribute to Canada's national icon of Indian dance.
This year, Menaka Thakkar is marking her 40 years in Canada during which time, besides developing her own brilliant career as a dancer/choreographer, she started the first school of Indian Dance (Nrtyakala - Academy of Indian Dance) and created the first Indian dance performance company (Menaka Thakkar Dance Company). Ms. Thakkar is credited with having introduced Indian dance to Canada forty years ago and was the first artist from a diverse culture to receive funding from the Canada Council thereby leading the way for other artists from diverse cultures to be recognized for their art form. Menaka has been embraced by the Toronto arts community ever since she arrived and is a most respected part of Canada's dance history.
She is celebrating with a dance weekend at the Fleck Dance Theatre featuring two performances May 31 - June 2: Sitayana and Prince Rama in the Wilderness.
Sitayana is for general audiences and the other is for children based on the epic Ramayana. Both works are created by Menaka and feature her dance ensemble. The lead role of Sitayana, formerly performed by Menaka herself, will be performed by Neena Jayarajan who has been with the school and then company for 20 years.
"I still remember those dark winter nights of my childhood, when a priest would come to our home and recite the verses from the Ramayana. Tucked under a warm blanket, I would thrill to his melodious voice as it trailed through the strange shadows cast on walls by the slowly swinging kerosene lamps. Rama and Sita were my ideals. I revered Rama and I wanted to grow up to be Sita. But tears would come to my eyes when I thought of Sita's fire ordeal and her later exile when unjust doubts were cast on her purity. How could Rama, my ideal hero, do this to her? I felt confused and even angry, but most of all hurt and fearful. I too was a woman. Would my own future husband treat me so unjustly? The priest was very learned and sympathetic. He understood the fears and misgivings of- a ten year old girl, swinging between devotion and doubt." ~ Menaka Thakkar
Be sure to come out and experience this stunning performance this weekend!! See show times and other details below.
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Menaka Thakkar Dance Company Presents :: Sitayana
Sitayana is a sensitive and respectful retelling of the Ramayana, but from Sita's point of view, which, in fact, universalizes into a woman's point of view - a woman, not only of our times but of all times. The ancient tale is told through visually stunning and rhythmically gripping dance choreography set to an enchanting musical score and the evocative poetry of Valmiki, the author of the original Sanskrit Ramayana. The 2012 recount includes a cast of approximately 20 dancers performing in Bharatanatyam. The lead role of Sita will be performed by long-time company dancer Neena Jayarajan with choreography and artistic direction by Menaka Thakkar."Being a student of Menaka Thakkar for over 25 years, the role of Sita was one I watched her perform with great admiration. Never could I have imagined that I would one day take her place. Although the story of Ramayana comes from a well known epic, Menaka ji's interpretation of Sitayana has always been ahead of its years. Hers is a modern interpretation because it focuses on the telling of this great epic from Sita's point of view, taking us into the inner thoughts, feelings, tragedies, and joys Sita encountered through her many life experiences. Many wonder how being a South Asian Canadian I am able to represent the role of Sita, which is deeply rooted in what is often termed "Indian subtleties". Having been born and raised in Toronto, my relatives overseas in India are often amazed at my deeply rooted passion and interest in Indian culture and art. Being part of a dance company of young women predominantly raised in Canadian society, we go through detailed dance training where our teacher Menakaji explains history, cultural symbols and context of characters through strong imagery that gets imbedded in our minds and bodies and becomes a natural part of our dancing the various roles of ancient epics. Although these stories are centuries old, they carry with them profoundly significant messages applicable to our modern western society. I often find myself relating to Sita, regardless of the centuries between us. Sita was a woman who went through many highs and lows and felt extremely deep emotions which we can all relate to regardless of age, gender or cultural background. "
~ Neena Jayarajan, Sita
When: May 31 - June 2, 2012
Where: Fleck Dance Theatre, Harbourfront CentreTime: 8pm Tickets: $30 -$35 Reg | $25 - $28 Senior | $15 Student under 25
Click HERE to purchase tickets.
Click HERE for information on Menaka Thakkar Dance Company.
This event is proudly sponsored by MyBindi.com.
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Prince Rama in the Wilderness is a children's show told through classical Bharatanatyam dance inspired by the epic Hindu classic Ramayana. Prince Rama in the Wilderness tells the story of Prince Rama who is exiled for 14 years because of the wishes of his stepmother so that her son can be the new king instead of Rama. Rama and his wife Sita are living happily in a beautiful forest setting in the wilderness among the dancing birds and animals. But when King Ravana who is far away in the kingdom of Lanka learns that his enemy Rama is living in the forests, their peaceful life is threatened.
When: June 1 - June 2, 2012 Where: Fleck Dance Theatre, Harbourfront Centre
Time: June 1st at 11am | June 2nd at 1pm Tickets: $25 Reg | $10 Children (under 12)
Click HERE to purchase tickets.
Click HERE for information on Menaka Thakkar Dance Company. This event is proudly sponsored by MyBindi.com.
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