Sri Lanka and India production nominated for Bessie Awards

Samhära, a production by the world renowned Nrityagram Dance Ensemble of India in collaboration with the Chitrasena Dance Company of Sri Lanka has been nominated in two categories for the prestigious Bessie Awards. Known as the Oscars of Dance, the Bessies bring together New York’s various dance communities and to honour outstanding work in the field of dance.

It also seeks to advocate the extraordinary dance styles performed on a national and international stage in New York.

Samhära (The Braid) is the brain-child of Surupa Sen, the artistic director of Nrityagram. The production was assisted by Heshma Wignaraja and the Kandyan drum compositions were set by Prasanna Rupathilake. Both individuals are from the Chitrasena Dance Company.

The production features dancers Surupa Sen, Bijayini Satpathy and Pavithra Reddy from the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and Thaji Dias and Mithilani Munasingha from the Chitrasena Dance Company. Samhära premiered in Bangalore in February and was also performed in Sri Lanka in May. The performance combines the feminine movements of Indian Odissi dance with the extremely energetic and vibrant Kandyan dance.

Samhära was performed at The Joyce Theatre in New York in March.

The New York Times reviewed this dance dialogue between Nrityagram and Chitrasena as “an interplay of styles that is exciting and illuminating”. The awards ceremony will be held at the Apollo Theatre in New York on October 15.