Lise Smith
SRISHTI
161 Uxbridge Road
Hatch End
Middlesex HA5 4EA
T +44 (0)20 8420 1076
E srishti@srishti.co.uk
W srishti.co.uk
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- Outdoor companies
SIZE OF COMPANY
11 on the road
SCALE OF VENUE
Small- to middle-scale
PERMANENT STAFF
Artistic Director and Choreographer
Nina Rajarani
Composer
Y Yadavan
Administrator and Education Officer
Lise Smith
ARTISTIC POLICY
Srishti – Nina Rajarani Dance Creations is an independent dance organisation aiming to preserve the authenticity of Indian classical dance and music traditions while being innovative in presentation. Artistic Director Nina Rajarani MBE won the Place Prize 2006 with QUICK!, an acclaimed piece that remains in the touring repertoire. The company tours nationally and internationally with a male-dominated cast, presenting works that explore universal and contemporary themes including lads' culture, modern business life and human relationships.
REVIEW EXTRACTS
‘Rajarani’s take on classical Indian dance is invigorating.’ The Times ()
‘Her technique is beautiful, her speed and rhythm extraordinary and her feet fascinating to watch.’ The Stage ()
‘A penalty, a fake injury, a goal, a dribble, – it’s all there, and Bharatanatyam is a great way to depict it.’ Sanjoy Roy, Pulse Magazine ()
CURRENT PRODUCTIONS
(touring spring 2010) A selection of the company’s previous works touring to celebrate 20 years of a professional dance career and Nina’s MBE award. Venues are invited to choose from five repertory works. (Approx 75–90 mins plus 20 min interval, 9 on stage, 10 on the road.)
Outdoor version (touring summer 2010) A collision between football and Bharatanatyam dance adapted for football's natural habitat, the outdoors. The show comes complete with fouls, injuries, slow motion replays and that heart-stopping ultimate goal! (20 mins, no interval, 8 on stage, 10 on the road.)
Based on the cut-throat competition of London businessmen, this award-winning piece of maddening pace has been stunning audiences worldwide since 2006 and continues to tour owing to popular demand. (15 mins, no interval, 8 on stage, 10 on the road.)
FUTURE PRODUCTIONS
(touring autumn 2010) A collaboration with aerial specialists Upswing, contrasting the grounded steps of classical Bharatanatyam with graceful aerial work to produce a fresh take on the classic story of Romeo and Juliet. (60 mins plus 20 min interval, 12 on stage, 15 on the road.)
(touring summer 2010) A fresh, youthful marriage of classical and modern dance and music, playing with the contrasting rhythms of Karnatic Solkattu and urban beatboxing in celebration of improvisation and collaboration. (20 mins, no interval, 13 on stage, 15 on the road.)
WRAP-AROUND
In 2008, Rajarani MBE created Bend It..., a contemporary Bharatanatyam work for her male-dominated touring company based on football and lads’ culture. Srishti has devised a workshop package related to this touring work, using the themes and movement material of Bend It... as starting points, available as an outreach package to venues hiring Srishti’s touring company.
Each performance of Love is in the Air will include a projected film, created by our film-maker and exclusive to each venue, of locations onsite and within the local community and incorporating authentic stories and places in the local area. The work will be informed by and created within our programme of educational outreach workshops, inspiring young people to be involved with and to come and see the show.
Our dancers and musicians will be delivering education work in local schools prior to and throughout the production week, in which participants will learn our repertoire and be led through creative processes facilitated by our own artists. Workshop participants will then be invited to create short pieces of dance to be used in the film projections. The film at each performance will therefore be individually connected to each venue.
Friendship and Belonging KS3 Citizenship workshops. Inspired by initiatives to prevent violent extremism, and based on the touring works My Stamping Ground and Love is in the Air, these workshops use South Asian dance, music and drama to discuss ideas of ‘Friendship and Belonging’ with Year 7/8 pupils. These will be ideal sessions for teachers to use as part of the Citizenship or PSHE curriculum areas.
Working in line with Government’s initiative to prevent young people from taking violent and extreme routes in their lives, the workshops are designed to allow pupils to use their own creativity to explore sensitive and relevant subjects through the creative arts, allowing discussion in a safe and supportive environment.
Srishti can also offer the following workshops:
Indian Dance Workshop – suitable for any age group.
Indian Music Workshop – suitable for any age group.
Combined Dance and Music Workshop – suitable for any age group (requires 2 tutors).
Learn our Choreography – suitable for dance students aged 16+.
Curtain raisers – short presentations by local groups devised and performed at venues where Srishti is touring. No prior dance/music experience or knowledge of Indian culture required. All levels catered for, beginners to experienced dancers. two-hour, four-hour or six-hour workshops, multi-day workshops and residencies available.
Srishti is also able to provide post-performance discussion and Q&A, open rehearsals and insight days, lecture demonstrations for schools and colleges and masterclasses for vocational dance students.
RECENT INTERNATIONAL WORK
2007 Portugal (), USA ()
2006 Norway ()
TOURING AVAILABILITY
available March 2010
(outdoor) available July–August 2010
available July–August 2010
available October–November 2010
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