Abhinaya Presents SI SE PUEDE This March In San Jose

Abhinaya Dance Company of San José presents 'Si Se Puede', choreographed by Mythili Kumar and featuring the company who will be accompanied by live music by master musicians. Presented in the classical Bharatanatyam idiom, the concert portrays the struggles of Cesar Chavez and his fight for farmworker rights. The concert is presented in association with San Jose Muticultural Arts Guild.

In May 1995 to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Abhinaya presented 'Gandhi-the Mahatma'. In this show, Mythili Kumar presented a brief solo work based upon Cesar Chavez's farmworker strikes which had been inspired by Gandhi's non-violent civil resistance movement. Building upon this work, the company presents vivid portrayals of Cesar Chavez's life, his struggles as a hardworking farmworker, his awareness of Gandhi's non-violent principles and his leadership through forming the United Farmworkers union fighting for the rights of the farmworkers. The fight for decent wages and working conditions continue to this day.

"It is ironic that those who till the soil, cultivate and harvest the fruits, vegetables, and other foods that fill your tables with abundance have nothing left for themselves."... Cesar Chavez "Perhaps we can bring the day when children will learn from their earliest days that being fully man and fully woman means to give one's life to the liberation of the brother who suffers. It is up to each one of us. It won't happen unless we decide to use our lives to show the way." ... Cesar Chavez In the midst of darkness, light persistsIn the midst of despair, hope persists,In the midst of death, life persists....Mahatma Gandhi

Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose (More information: abhinaya.org)Artistic Director Mythili Kumar founded the Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose in 1980 to present innovative and professional-quality performances of South Indian classical dance. Through rhythmic movements and stylized gestures, stories from Hindu mythology are retold in classical dance drama format. Since 1986, Abhinaya has staged several full-length dance dramas choreographed by Mythili Kumar. Abhinaya is a leading multi-cultural organization in the South Bay, known both for its adherence to tradition as well as its innovative multi-cultural collaborations.