Dance drama enters an exciting phase

The next few weeks will be replete with excitement and anxiety for more than 120 local artistes participating in Taj Mahal: A Dance Drama with the arrival of their costumes from India on February 10.

Experts have designed the costumes to lend authenticity to one of the most colourful periods of Indian history, which witnessed the construction of Taj Mahal in Agra (India) by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his deceased wife Mumtaz in the 17^th Century.

Professional dance master and choreographer P Narsing Rao of Hyderabad will arrive in Auckland on February 17 to fine tune the dance sequences, coordinate choreography with dance teachers Anuradha Ramkumar, Selvi Uthayakumaran, Shweta Divekar, Vatsala Balachandran and Rahul Chopra and work with production manager Peter Vangent and Stage Manager Carol Harding.

Among those in the lead roles are Siddharth Krishnamoorthy (Shah Jahan), Natasha Trilokekar (Mumtaz) and Roji Varghese (Mohabat Khan).

Multicultural event

Aiswarya Entertainments Limited director Sasi Nambissan said he and his team were doing their best to ensure that the Dance Drama cuts across social and cultural barriers, appealing to people of all ethnic groups.

“We would like to take New Zealanders through a unique experience of a golden era in the Indian history, simultaneously promoting harmony by involving people from various ethnic communities,” he said.

Mr Nambissan said the idea of staging Taj Mahal arose at an informal meeting of friends more than two years ago and that it became a major project thereafter.

“We decided to encourage local talent, provide them with appropriate training and present them on stage, instead of inviting overseas artistes. We have not compromised on quality and this dance drama will be a cultural extravaganza, appealing to people of all ages,” he said.

Rigorous rehearsals

While the selected dancers and other participants have been practicing their role independently, they will come together for extensive rehearsals due to be held regularly, leading up to the final show on March 31.

Mr Nambissan said the next two rehearsals will be held on February 12 and 18 at Mt Roskill Intermediate School Hall on Denbigh Avenue in Auckland.

He said Technical Coordinator Anil Kunjunny has been busy creating digital props, incorporating high definition images depicting the mood, colours and flavours of the scenes, along with short video clips and 3D animations.

“The marketing activities span across a spectrum of possibilities, including Facebook and Twitter, gaining momentum among the participants and their social networks. Conventional marketing initiatives have also spread across the media platforms in and around Auckland,” he said.

Marketing Coordinator Sreekumar Puli said his team has been working hard to procure sponsorships.

“We have not received any funding from any government agency, despite rigours efforts over the past year. We are aware of the challenges and we are confident of corporate and community support,” he said.

Aiswarya Entertainments Limited director Dr Rita Sasidharan said the company had taken the disappointments in its stride.

“We are moving on, exploring all possibilities. We have entered the crucial phase of the Project with demands from all departments. We are slowly converging into creating the big picture of the mega event,” she said.

Photo :

Siddharth Krishnamoorthy (Shah Jahan)

Roji Varghese (Mohabat Khan)