CANCELLED - Parama Padam: Life’s Game of Snakes and Ladders

This Event Is Cancelled Now due to G20.

Date and Time: Tuesday, 5 September 2023, 7pmAdd to Calendar 05/09/2023 19:00 05/09/2023 20:00 Asia/Kolkata Parama Padam: Life’s Game of Snakes and Ladders Must check for Details and on Event day before visiting -
https://www.delhievents.com/2023/09/dance-parama-padam-snakes-ladders-apsaras-arts-mohanapriyan-thavarajah-india-habitat-centre-lodhi-road.html The Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre (IHC), Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003, IndiaDD/MM/YYYY

Entry: Free (Seating on First-Come First-Served Basis)

Venue: The Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre (IHC), Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003, India
Parking: Gate No. 1, 2 & 3 (Cars), Gate No. 2 (Bikes & Bicycles)
Venue Info: Events | About | Map | Nearest Metro Stations:
'Jor Bagh(Yellow Line)Exit Gate-1' - Walk Direction
'Khan Market(Violet Line)'
Area: Lodhi Road Area Events

Event Description: Apsaras Arts and India Habitat Centre present a dance theatre production, ‘Parama Padam ~ Life’s game of Snakes and Ladders’. Mohanapriyan Thayarajah's solo act of Bharatanatyam dance piece is based on the board game snakes and ladders. 

Parama Padam has been created by the followers of the Vaishnavite faith, with the duo purpose of entertainment and teaching moral values of human life. On the game board, there are a hundred squares which are illustrated with Snakes and Ladders. The ladders in the game represent good virtues, and the snakes indicate vices. Ladders take you up as the good deeds take us to heaven, while the snakes bring you down as to a cycle of re-births. The final goal is to reach Vaikuntha, or heaven. This game which originated in India in the 10th century CE, was popular worldwide as “Snakes and Ladders” by the British during the 18th century CE.

The 60 mins non-stop performance by Mohanapriyan Thavarajah has three acts, using lyrics for only brief introductory epithets and short explanatory narration in English between acts. The first act: The Soul Yearns, elucidates the six zones that have to be traversed to reach the seventh, which is ‘Vaikuntha’. The second act: The Game Life, depicts the soul’s journey through climbing up ladders and being pulled down by snakes and the third act: Making the Right Choices in Life, has two segments. The third act introduces Chitragupta, the accountant who keeps track of the good and bad deeds as a guide who narrates several stories of those who attained Parama Padam: Poet Saint Tyagaraja, Alvar saint Periyalvar and Poet saint Tukaram by following the path of devotion, love and knowledge. Chitragupta drew the analogy of the life of Ravana, who was defeated in the game of snakes of ladders due to his arrogance, while the Poet Meera overcame the vices (symbolised by the snakes) through her pure devotion. The piece ends with the learning that the Parama Padam is not a destination but a way of life that is guided by moral values.

“The concept of Parama Padam – Life’s Game of Snakes and Ladders, is in tune with our dance institution’s vision to take up novel themes which are connected to Indian heritage and culture and not seen as the narrative of dance expression. This theme allows us to visualise traditional board game choreography using the rich movement vocabulary of Bharatanatyam and explore the narrative of the game’s moral values seeking references from Indian epics, communicated through Abhinaya, the art of story-telling in Bharatanatyam.” Says Aravinth Kumarasamy, Artistic Director, Apsaras Arts Dance Company.

Mohanapriyan Thavarajah, Principal Dancer and Resident Choreographer of Apsaras Arts Dance Company says, “As a Bharatanatyam practitioner and choreographer, Parama Padam is my humble attempt to create an awareness and appreciation of Indian heritage and culture, which I proudly value. As our world moves towards globalisation and modernity, we need to create opportunities to look back at our roots, which are rich in culture and history, and have unique ways to promote good morals and ethical ways of living.

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Creative Team

• Concept, Choreography and performance:  Mohanapriyan Thavarajah (Singapore)

•   Artistic Direction: Aravinth Kumarasamy (Singapore)

• Artistic Mentor: Priyadarsini Govind (India)

• Dramaturg: Lim How Ngean (Australia)

• Music Composition: Dr Rajkumar Bharathi (India)

• Sound Design: Sai Sharavanam (India)

• Light Design: Gyan Dev Singh (India)

• Narrator Script: Audrey Perera (Singapore)

Orchestra (India)

Vocals: G Srikanth

Mridangam: V Vedakrishnan

Percussions: Ganapathy Venkatasubramaniam

Violin: Embar Kannan

Veena: Bhavani Prasad

Flute: Sruthi Sagar

Sollukattu: Shreejith Krishna

Narration Voice-Over: Ramesh Paniker (Singapore)

About Apsaras Arts

Apsaras Arts was founded in Singapore in 1977 by Shri S Sathyalingam and Smt Neila Sathyalingam, alumni and former faculty members of Kalakshetra, India. With over four decades of prolific international productions, Apsaras Arts has grown into a premier Indian dance company in the region that has gained recognition in Indian dance-theatre, enjoying successful performances and following worldwide.

Since 2005, under the leadership of Aravinth Kumarasamy, an award-winning Artistic Director, Apsaras Arts has transformed into a premier professional performing company, focusing on creating new works which are presented at international festivals. Apsaras Arts dancers and musicians have toured to more than forty countries across the globe and collaborated with leading dance companies, legendary dancers, choreographers, composers and presenters from the international Indian dance fraternity. Apsaras Arts is a non-profit organization and registered charity in Singapore, and is the recipient of the Singapore National Arts Council’s annual Major Grant scheme. The company is guided by an advisory board comprising of eminent personalities connected with the arts community in Singapore and the region.

Artiste’s Bio

Mohanapriyan Thavarajah is a multifaceted artist, Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, teacher, researcher, designer, curator and published author. While deeply rooted in tradition and innovative in his approach to Bharatanatyam, Mohanapriyan is recognised as one of the world’s young male Bharatanatyam Artiste of today’s generation who has created an exceptional style that is distinct to his personality. He has received significant critical acclaim for his imaginative and innovative choreography for both his ensemble and solo work that combines the traditional vocabulary of the tenants of Bharatanatyam while retaining a vitalised interpretation and relevance to modern audiences.

Mohanapriyan hails from Sri Lanka and has been a principal dancer and resident choreographer at Apsaras Arts Dance Company Singapore since 2012. He obtained gold medals in both Bachelor's and Masters's degrees in Bharatanatyam from Kalai Kaviri College of Fine Arts, an affiliate of Bharathidasan University. He has also completed his MPhil in Bharatanatyam at Tanjore Tamil University and currently pursuing PhD research in dance at Chennai Tamil Nadu Music and Fine Arts University. Mohanapriyan has been awarded many titles for his proficiency in dance as a performer and choreographer. Mohanapriyan has presented many research topics in dance at seminars and workshops and is a well-regarded mentor and sought-after teacher for many young & upcoming dancers in France, the USA, India and Singapore. His maiden research book Temple Dance of Apsaras - A Dancer’s View on Angkor Wat, was published in May 2021. His in-depth research and deep understanding of Southeast Asian dance traditions have also made him a gifted & comprehensive designer. His deep aesthetic sense and creative knowledge in craft and design have enabled him to create spellbinding visual spectacles for many Apsaras Arts productions. 

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