A Classical Dance Drama - Swagatam Krishna

Program type: 
Dates: 
Saturday, August 26, 2017 - 6:00pm
Padma Dance Academy will do a one-time only showing of a classical Indian dance drama—Swagatam 
Krishna—at the East Hawaii Cultural Center,  6:00-8:00 pm, on Saturday, August 26, 2017. 
 
The August 26th performance tells the story of how Krishna appeared on Earth in the prison of his
uncle—a tyrant with an insatiable thirst for world domination. Krishna escapes in the dead of night in a
monsoon storm, brings joy to simple villagers, and tames a huge sea monster.
Indian-style delicacies and various snacks will be available for purchase during the intermission. Ticket
purchases not only provide the audience with an evening of delight, but will also sponsor a girls’ trip for
dance immersion study on the mainland with their teacher’s teacher.
 
Bharatanatyam originates from the sacred confines of India’s ancient temples.  Like Hula, it is a dance
with spiritual roots, performed in praise of the divine.  It is infused with historic stories of heroism,
mystery and romance. Padma Academy dancers are local Hilo and Puna girls who’ve grown up studying
this rigorous and emotive form of dance, most of them since they were three!
 
The director, Champakalata Fiorentino, has been studying Bharatanatyam dance since 1986 from the
renowned Sudha Chandra Sekhar of Michigan. Champakalata has had her own school since 2002—first
in North Carolina and then in Hilo, and in West Bengal, India in between. Both she and her students have
performed nationally and internationally, often to audiences of thousands.
 
To see a video of this performance, click here!
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