The Weis Center for the Performing Arts will welcome the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble on Tuesday, October 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Weis Center.
One of the premier Indian dance ensembles performing today, the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble had the distinction of making The New York Times’ Best Dance of the Year list two consecutive years (2015 and 2016).
More than a dance company, Nrityagram (pronounced NRI-thyuh-graam) was founded as a gurukula (or school) devoted to Indian dance. The all-female ensemble’s daily life of intensive training and meditation brings to the stage compelling and captivating performances that are at once sensual and lyrical.
They will perform KHAṄKHAṆĀ: The Sound of Dancing Feet with live music. The Performance runs for 115 minutes including a 20-minute Intermission.
This performance is part of the Weis Center’s year-long Trees Series.
ABOUT THE PIECE: The Sound of Dancing Feet
The company said, “Nrityagram – land of red earth and birdsong – is both our home and our muse. For more than three decades, this soil has sustained us, even as we have offered it our labour, our dreams, and our art. Khaṅkhaṇā is an invitation to journey with us through time, to listen to the pulse of dancing feet. Featuring acclaimed works by choreographer Surupa Sen – both new and familiar – this performance celebrates movement, memory, and a shared hope for our world.”
Instrumentation includes vocals, harmonium, chants, mardala (percussion), bamboo flute, violin, and manjira (hand cymbals).
ABOUT ODISSI DANCE
For centuries, a temple has looked out at a turbulent sea, its walls dancing a prayer to the rising sun. Magnificent ruins like these, in Odisha in Eastern India, confirm that Odissi was performed as far back as 200 BCE. Originally a sacred ritual dedicated to the gods, Odissi is one of the oldest dance traditions in the world. Its sinuous forms, languorous limbs and rapt expressions frozen in stone tell of a past rich in dance, music, myth and legend.
Odissi speaks of love and union, between human and divine, transporting viewers to enchanted worlds of magic and spirituality. Its sensuousness and lyricism reflect both the motifs of Odisha temple sculpture as well as the poetry from the deep wellsprings of Odia music.
ABOUT NRITYAGRAM DANCE VILLAGE
Nrityagram, meaning Dance Village, is a one-of-a-kind community where dance is not just practiced but lived. Founded by the visionary Protima Gauri, it is a cultural landmark dedicated to keeping alive India’s rich traditions while reimagining them for the future. Here, the ancient gurukula way of life is at the heart of learning. Students and teachers live together in an environment where discipline, creativity, and philosophy intertwine. More than a training ground, Nrityagram nurtures artists who embody mindful living, holistic practice, and a deep pursuit of excellence. For over three decades, our village has been home to an Open School, an internationally renowned Dance Ensemble, and vibrant outreach programs. Together, they form a living ecosystem of art, community, and innovation.
The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble, led by Artistic Director Surupa Sen, is acclaimed as one of India’s foremost dance companies. With performances in 25 countries across five continents, it has won global recognition, including the rare distinction of featuring twice in The New York Times’ “Best Dance of the Year” list. At Nrityagram, dance is more than art – it is a way of life.
TICKETS
Tickets are $30 for adults, $24 for seniors 62+ and subscribers, $20 for youth 18 and under, $20 for Bucknell employees and retirees (limit 2), free for Bucknell students (limit 1) and $20 for non-Bucknell students (limit 2).
Tickets can be reserved by calling 570-577-1000 or online at Bucknell.edu/BoxOffice.
Tickets are also available in person from several locations including the Weis Center lobby (weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and the CAP Center Box Office, located on the ground floor of the Elaine Langone Center (weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
For more information about this event, contact Lisa Leighton, marketing and outreach director, at 570-577-3727 or by e-mail at lisa.leighton@bucknell.edu.
For more information about the Weis Center for the Performing Arts, go to Bucknell.edu/WeisCenter or search for the Weis Center on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.