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November 6, 2015

A Moving Cultural Dialogue

Indian Classical Dance as Storytelling

River of Light features Indian dancers as a powerful storytelling device. "Incorporating Indian classical dancers as part of the story... is key to including Meera's past as something that she ...longs for and finally realizes has always been with her," says stage director Tanya Kane-Parry.
   "The male and female dancers at times interact with the singers, and the singers occasionally use gestures that echo the dancers. In this way, the audience sees the relationship and connection to Meera's culture as a constant presence."
   There are at least eight forms of Indian classical dance, the symbolic movement that evolved as a ritual in the

Antonia Minnecola
choreographer and
Kathak dancer

sanctum of temples, using mudrā, or hand gestures, as well as body movement, to narrate the story.
Festival Opera's production employs the artistry of choreographer Antonia Minnecola, one of the few American artists recognized as a serious exponent of Kathak dance, the rhythmic and expressive style of North India, and the disciple of Sitara Devi, widely considered the greatest female Kathak dancer of our time.
   Twice a recipient of the Marin Arts Council Individual Artist Grants for Choreography, Ms. Minnecola began her training in Kathak with Pandit Chitresh Das, and also studied classical Hindustani music with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. During this period, she undertook a serious study of taal, the rhythmic science of Indian performing arts, with Ustad Allarakha.
   Ms. Minnecola has appeared internationally, and is married to to renowned percussionist Zakir Hussain.

   Featured in Festival Opera's production

are dancers Richa Shukla and Gopi.

Richa Shukla is a Bay Area-bred Indian Classical dancer (Kathak) and actress. She has been a student of Srimati Anuradha Nag,

Richa Shukla
featured dancer and former Miss India USA
1st runner-up (2008)

disciple of the legendary Pandit Birju Maharaj. She has performed on the international stage and as a featured dancer at the 2014 Bollywood Filmfare Awards. Ms. Shukla is the granddaughter of

Prabha and

Mysore Gopal, and says, "I feel extremely honored to be performing for this program [Savitri] which is being dedicated to my recently deceased and beloved grandfather."

Weaving The Tale of Savitri

Principal artists of Savitri

Maya Kherani

Philip Skinner
in Otello 2013

Jorge Garza
in About Face 2012

Get your seat NOW for Festival Opera's presentation of Gustav Holst's Savitri and Jack Perla and Chitra Divakaruni's River of Light.

More production information at Festival Opera.

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Calendar TICKETS

November 2015

November 14 2:00 pm Saturday Oakland Asian Cultural Center	Holst's Savitri Perla & Divakaruni's River of Light
November 14 8:00 pm Saturday Oakland Asian Cultural Center	Holst's Savitri Perla & Divakaruni's River of Light
November 15 4:00 pm Sunday Oakland Asian Cultural Center	Holst's Savitri Perla & Divakaruni's River of Light

December 2015

December 10

6:30 pm

Round Hill Country Club, Alamo

Holiday Gala

SAVE THE DATE!

Summer 2016

Todos Santos Plaza, Concord, CA	Opera in the Park
Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek	Mozart's *Abduction from the Seraglio*

Fall 2016

TBA

Workshop: Wang Jie's
From The Land Fallen

Contact Us

Festival Opera

1630 North Main Street, #61

Walnut Creek, California 94596

925.944.9610

www.festivalopera.org

Sara Nealy - General Director

Dick Brundage, CBC - Marketing Director

______________________

Board of Directors

Susie Hanson, Chair

Peter Johnson, Vice Chair

David Baer, Secretary

Nina Bancroft Dickerson

Jennifer Kwock-Lau

Diane Heald