Guest
Kritya ensemble is a collaborative initiative between Carnatic musicians and Kuchipudi dance founded by Yamini Kalluri. We create work originating from ancient South Indian traditions which are rooted in spirituality and social themes. We also collaborate with other world traditions to expand the scope and vocabulary of Kuchipudi and Carnatic music. We create dialogue to challenge norms which are no more relevant to the present climate and to preserve precious elements about our traditions. We are Indian American artists who practice Carnatic Music and South Indian dance traditions but also have spent time training in Western techniques such as Western classical music, jazz, Ballet, Modern dance and Contemporary dance to enhance our traditions and to create works that are packaged better for a western/global audience. Kritya Ensemble was founded in January, 2022 by Yamini. Yamini has decided to showcase Kuchipudi alongside live carnatic music because Kuchipudi is a dance drama or theater tradition where LIVE MUSIC is the crux of this tradition. Yamini has founded the Kritya Ensemble to restore the dance drama tradition where music and dance were almost inseparable in telling these powerful stories which changed people's lives from time to time. Yamini believes that dance and music have a symbiotic relationship while this metaphorically points out the interconnectedness and interdependence of this universe. Yamini vehemently professes her love for music everyday through her dance practice. In a world where things are becoming individualistic, Yamini wants to revive the idea of collaboration which is the predominant principle in dance. In collaboration, we discover the true artistic principle of selflessness and humility. As artists, we believe we are here to serve society. A dancer is truly whole when they have great command over music, drama, literature and fashion. Singer: Rohith Jayaraman Nattuvanagam: Vivek Ramanan Mridangam: Harsha Mandayam Bharathi Violin: Laya Raghav Dancer: Yamini Kalluri
