Written in Water

Streaming December 4, 7:30 p.m. (PDT) — December 11, 11:59 p.m. (PDT)

The internationally acclaimed Ragamala Dance Company “imbues the South Indian dance form of Bharatanatyam with a thoroughly contemporary exuberance” (Dance Magazine). In the visually stunning Written in Water, Ragamala explores the universal paradigm of a seeker on a journey to connect the human with the transcendent and reveal mysteries within the self.

Inspired by the ancient Indian board game Paramapadham, also known as “Snakes and Ladders,” dancers and musicians move freely between composition and improvisation representing the heights of ecstasy and depths of longing. This large-scale, multimedia dance work unfolds amidst lush game-board projections of paintings from visual artist V. Keshav, and an original score by Carnatic composer Prema Ramamurthy and Iraqi-American composer/musician Amir ElSaffar, accompanied by a live musical ensemble with a distinct alchemy of Iraqi, jazz, and South Indian instruments. The recently-toured original work — conceived and choreographed by Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy — expands Ragamala’s visionary approach to this ancient art form with the compelling Meany On Screen experience of Written in Water.

Tickets
RSVPs for ​this virtual screening will open in November.

Ragamala shows how Indian forms can be some of the most transcendent experiences that dance has to offer.
— The New York Times