Akademi presents Arunima Kumar and Shane Shambhu

Akademi Presents Arunima Kumar and Shane Shambhu

A mixed bill of two different performers, British born Bharatanatyam and Contemporary dancer Shane Shambhu presents his new piece, Dr Jagad & Mr Haridas and Arunima Kumar will present a classical Kuchipudi performance.

Arunima Kumar

Arunima is a Kuchipudi dancer who is a senior disciple of Padmashree Guru JayaRama Rao and Vanasree Rao. She was the recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi’s prestigious Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskaar for Kuchipudi in 2008, the Sahitya Kala Parishad Scholarship for Dance in 1998 and the Shringarmani title in 2001. She is an established artist with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and is an artist of the All India Radio and Doordarshan. Arunima had her initial training under Padma Bhushan Smt Swapnasundari. She has given several national and international performances at cultural festivals and venues internationally. Kuchipudi continues to be her abiding passion, which she pursues with relentless devotion.

Arunima will present a classical Kuchipudi performance. Details of Arunima’s performance will be released at a later date.

Shane Shambhu

Shane Shambhu is a British-born dancer, actor and an Award-Winning choreographer initially trained in Bharatanatyam. Working across contemporary dance and theatre he has worked with an array of companies and artists including: Jonathan Burrows, Darshan Singh Bhuller, Filip Van Huffel, Lisa Torun, Leela Samson, Dr Dick McCaw, Akshaya Dance Theatre, Wardrobe Dance Theatre, Mavin Khoo Dance, Vayu Naidu Company, inDance (Canada), Srishti Dance (Place Prize winner 2006), Shobana Jeysingh Dance Company, Icon Theatre, Royal Opera House’s “Tamerlano” with Placido Domingo and Theatre De Complicite’s triple-award winning “A Disappearing Number” which was adapted as a radio play for BBC Radio 3 and screened worldwide as part of National Theatre Live.

Shane has been Associate Artist with: Derby Dance Centre, Leicester Haymarket Theatre, Dance 4 and currently with The Hat Factory. Shane was selected to become a Platinum Programme Artist, selected by Tamasha Theatre to be a director on their design-direct programme and was recently nominated for an Arts Award Fellowship and short-listed for Matthew Bourne’s Choreographer Award.

Shane Shambhu Company creates dynamic visual theatre rooted in the traditional South Indian dance form of Bharatanatyam. By representing the modern society we live in and depicting narratives that expose human experiences and behaviour the company creates works that stir up emotions in all of us.
Through innovative physical storytelling and the use of devised characters, the company transports audiences through an emotional journey and a shared aesthetic experience to question themes of universal relevance.
The company uses an organic movement language stemming from Shane Shambhu’s backgrounds in Bharatanatyam, contemporary dance and theatre. By integrating all these forms the company is fast earning a reputation for leading the re-invention of Indian dance for the 21st Century.
SHANE SHAMBHU COMPANY

presents

Dr Jagad & Mr Haridas

Dr Jagad is a reputable yet mad scientist who has discovered a chemical formula that can alter genes in DNA. Having experimented on animals and in a rush for glory he decides it is time for human testing…the outcome is a stronger, more athletic, Mr Haridas.

With no sense of origin, how does an inorganically created Mr Haridas behave?
Has playing God created destruction for Dr Jagad?

A comical, fresh and imaginative take on the original, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, this short work reflects on modern science and identity.

Created by Award-Winning choreographer Shane Shambhu
(Complicite’s “A Disappearing Number”, Fringe First Award-Winning “Release” by Icon Theatre and shortlisted for the Matthew Bourne’s Choreographer Award)