EXTRA PRESENTATION: MENAKA THAKKAR DANCE COMPANY HOME SEASON

If you were able to attend our Home Season performance at Harbourfront Centre last month, we thank you very much for your support. For those of you who were unable to attend, there will be another presentation on Friday, July 6 th , 2007 at the Markham Theatre for Performing Arts.

RIAZ (2007), created especially for the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company, is an original work that takes classical Bharatanatyam movements and gives them a modern twist in Natasha Bakht's own individual style. The Menaka Thakkar Dance Company will also perform a remount of Thakkar's PARASHAKTI (1992) and HOMECOMING (1996) to mark the historical development of Thakkar's vision of contemporary choreography in Indian dance. Based on Sangam poetry from Pre-Classical Tamil culture, Homecoming is a love story about trust and faith, while Parashakti stretches the limits of Bharatanatyam dance in portraying the cycle of Creation, Sustenance, Destruction and Re-birth.

All three works are part of a cycle in itself: the development and expression of the fusion of classical Indian movements with contemporary dance movements. When Thakkar first began this development with Parashakti in 1992, she was a leader in this process among the classical artists in Toronto at the time. Thakkar is pleased to see this choreographic cycle continuing with one of her own trained dancers, Bakht, who has become known for this style of choreography.

The Menaka Thakkar Dance Company's Celebration Year to honour Thakkar's 65 years is also an integral part of this Home Season. Since coming to Canada, Thakkar has seen the Canadian Indian dance community grow and has been proud to be a leader in bringing Indian dance to those of the Indian community and the mainstream community.

For more information visit: www.menakathakkardance.org

Program details:
Friday, July 6 th , 8:00pm

Markham Theatre for Performing Arts
171 Town Centre Blvd. Markham, Ontario
Box Office: 905-305-7469