Janak Khendry Dance Company to Present WOMEN LIBERATED, March 8

In celebration INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY on March 8th, 2015, Janak Khendry Dance Company presents WOMEN LIBERATED. A monumental artistic undertaking, WOMEN LIBERATED is performed by a stunning ensemble of eleven dancers who perform both Bharatanatyam and Odissi classical Indian styles, and runs one day only on March 8, 7:00 PM at the Betty Oliphant Theatre, Toronto.

For tickets, go online at womenliberated.eventbrite.ca or call Janak Khendry Dance Company: 416-530-2889. Tickets can also be purchased in-person at the theatre between 6:00pm and 6:45pm on the day of the performance.

Based on the Buddhist scripture THERIGATHA -- songs of the enlightened women, this brilliantly choreographed presentation explores the Buddha's monumental decision to allow women the right to choose the path of Nirvana -- the happy state of total liberation from the cycles of life and death. There are records of seventy three women who had chosen the path of truth and at the time of their Liberation, spontaneously recited poems of their enlightenment. After extensive research of the ancient Buddhist scriptures, we chose six of the women, who came from different walks of life and who chose the same path, for different reasons, to achieve the same goal of Enlightenment. Their struggles and their achievements are presented in THERIGATHA -- the songs of the enlightened women. These six women represent an embodiment of the entire womanhood. The original poems in ancient Pali language have been used, and to maintain the sanctity of the characters and the meter of the Pali poetry, the mood and the tempo suggest meditation and contemplation. The six women whose Gathas are presented, represent an embodiment of the entire womanhood. Another important aspect of this presentation is the compassionate nature of Buddha and how important his teachings have been to millions of people all over the world for two thousand five hundred years.

The presentation of WOMEN LIBERATED represents RESPECT FOR WOMEN and PEACE throughout the world.

Eleven dancers (Janak Khendry is joined by Kavita Pathinather, Mukur De, Ishwaria Chandru, Meera Kanageswaran, Kala Vageesan, Rugsha Sivanandan, Keerthika Ravinthiran, Paromita Kar, Sinthuja Sriskandhan and Harikishan S. Nair -- dance to the soul searching music created by one of India's best composers ASHIT DESAI.

The Janak Khendry Dance Company is an internationally renowned professional Indo-Canadian dance company that began in 1978. Its current focus is to create significant philosophical works that have a universal message and to develop better human understanding through dance. The company is dedicated to creating rare, unique and outstanding dance works. JKDC enjoys a high international profile and has been invited to perform in Canada, the United States, India, Myanmar, Singapore, Mexico, South Africa, Australia and, most recently, in 2013, in Kuwait and Oman. In each host country, JKDC is sponsored by the Indian and Canadian Embassies. Its dancers, in essence, travel as Indo-Canadian Cultural Ambassadors. In 2004, JKDC was invited by the University of Culture, Myanmar and co-sponsored by the Governments of Myanmar and the Embassy of India. In 2006, it was invited by the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico; the Embassies of Canada and India co-sponsored the visit. In 2007, Bharti Pravasi Divas invited the Company to perform at its annual conference in New Delhi. The same year, the Indian Council of Cultural Relations invited JKDC to tour India. In 2008, a film based on Janak Khendry's choreographic work When the Gods Came Down to Earth was shown in Australia. And, as well in 2008, under the co-sponsorship of the High Commissions of Canada and India, the company was invited to South Africa to perform at Shared Histories, an arts festival which was a collaborative project of the Governments of India and South Africa. In 2013, JKDC presented Paradise Lost at the Fleck Dance Theatre to wide acclaim, and hopes to tour Paradise Lost in the country of its birth -- England -- as well as other parts of the world. The company's repertoire contains over 130 works. Some of the major creations of the company include "Panchakalyanaka -- From the Life of MAHAVEER", "WOMEN LIBERATED -- Buddha's Teachings", "GAYATRI", "UPANISHAD", "Four Thousand Years History of GANGA" and "KAAL-TIME -- the History of Time" and "Paradise Lost."

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