SAMPRADAYA Dance Creations to Launch 2016 Season with PRALAYA

Internationally acclaimed Dance Company SAMPRADAYA Dance Creations' led by award winning Artistic Director, Lata Pada joins forces with distinguishEd Balinese choreographer Dr. Wayan Dibia, master of Balinese dance and Topeng mask dance to create the Company's newest work - PRALAYA.

Mining the depth of their respective dance forms and their narrative traditions, PRALAYA is an opulent production that highlights the cataclysmic game of dice, from the Indian epic - The Mahabharata. This universal epic made famous in a theatre production by the acclaimed Peter Brooks, has been re-imagined through dance, shadow puppetry, masks and projection in PRALAYA.

PRALAYA tells the timeless tale of dynastic conflict, of earth-shattering chaos and finally an abiding calm, simmering with the potential of being shattered again. Following its world premiere in Toronto on November 11 & 12, 2016 as part of the NextSteps Series at Harbourfront Centre, the company takes PRALAYA on a nine-city Canadian tour across Ontario and Western Canada.

Having lived in Indonesia for over a decade, Pada has fostered a deep connection to the county and continues to be inspired by its cultural richness. Celebrated for her contemporary bharatanatyam creations, her extensive research on the performance narratives of South East Asia was the inspiration behind this unprecedented collaboration. Responsible for the concept and choreography of PRALAYA, as well as one of the show's two narrators, she sees of PRALAYA as a timely reminder of the disturbing times we live in.

"From time immemorial, we have continuously pushed ourselves to the brink of extinction, and we are predisposed to destruction in a cyclical way," says Pada. "The Mahabharata, the epic poem on which PRALAYA it is based, was composed thousands of years ago and is as relevant today as it was when written. This unprecedented convergence of Indian and Balinese performing arts, celebrates the eternal importance of The Mahabharata."

Much like the modern day saga The Game of Thrones, the Mahabharata is known for its conflict-ridden characters torn between lust, revenge, greed and mindless ambition. PRALAYA is a tale of dynastic struggle between two feuding cousin families, the Kauravas and the Pandavas who fight one another for the throne of Hastinapura. A game of dice determines a terrible defeat for the Pandavas who are forced into exile, only to return and win the great battle of Kurukshentra. Irreversibly, morality, virtue and nobility are lost.

PRALAYA is performed by a cast of 10 including Wayan Dibia and Lata Pada .The musical score has been composed by Praveen D. Rao featuring master musicians from Bali and India.

"We are excited to be collaborating with SAMPRADAYA to bring this celebrated work to life," remarked Dr. Wayan Dibia, co-choreographer and co-narrator of PRALAYA. "Our dancers have been diligently rehearsing this piece in Bali where both Indonesian and Indian performers are learning the styles of one another's dance in preparation for this new interpretation."

SAMPRADAYA Dance Creations acknowledges the ongoing support from the following funders: Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the City of Mississauga. Program support is courtesy of Canadian Heritage, Scotiabank and the RBC Foundation.

Founded in 1990 by Artistic Director Lata Pada, C.M. SAMPRADAYA Dance Creations is an internationally recognized Canadian Dance Company committed to showcasing Bharatanatyam as a universal art form as it explores diverse movement styles, contemporary themes and innovative dance creations. Under Ms. Pada's artistic stewardship and supported by the Board's strategic visioning, SAMPRADAYA Dance Creations serves a diverse populace. It has grown over the years into an active and vibrant organization leading the development of South Asian dance in Canada. Visit www.sampradaya.ca.