Dance Theatre to bring India to WNY
by ELIZABETH TAUFA Reporter

Noted Indian actress and dancer Shobana will perform "Maya Ravan" with her troupe at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at the University at Buffalo Center for the Arts on the school's North Campus.

Western New York theater-goers will have the chance to see the Indian Dance Theatre Group in English. A production based on the great Indian epic "Ramayana" is set for 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at the University at Buffalo Center for the Arts on the school's North Campus.

The show, titled "Maya Ravan," will be performed by noted Indian actress and dancer Shobana - a veteran of 225 Indian films - and her troupe. The performance will be based on the classical Indian dance form Bharatanatyam, fused with western and contemporary dance forms.

"We have been trying to do this for many years," said Pravin Suchak, general secretary of the India Association of Buffalo. "Part of Indian tradition is to reach out and to assimilate into the larger community."

"Maya Ravan" tells a story through movement, facial expression, dramatic interaction and an English-language narration. The story is derived from the "Ramayana," the ancient Sanskrit epic that has served as a source of theater, film, dance and storytelling for centuries.

"It's a story of good winning over evil," Suchak said. "Because it's narrated in English, it should be easy to follow."

The program will be hosted by the India Association of Buffalo in conjunction with the Association for India's Development, which will receive proceeds from the event.

"AID is a nonprofit organization based in the U.S. and back home," said Narasimha rao Marella, president of the AID Buffalo chapter. "Each chapter has its own project. Ours is a health project for women and children in southern India."

The group also has a conservation project in western India.

The production is the largest fundraiser that both the IAB and AID have seen in Buffalo. The IAB hosts the annual India Day Mela in August, which is a celebration of Indian culture.

Suchak noted a desire for additional large fundraisers but said that the group's smaller projects are important as well.

"We've worked with the Jewish community and Hurricane Katrina organizations and soup kitchens," he said. "We try to rope in small groups with small specialities."

General admission tickets are $25 and student and senior tickets are $20.

Tickets for the show can be purchased at any Ticketmaster outlet, www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling 852-5000.

For more information on the event, call Dinesh Sukumaran at 689-2835 or visit www.iabuffalo.org and buffalo.aidindia.org.

e-mail: etaufa@beenews.com