Silambam Houston Returns to Miller Outdoor Theater with The Baroque-Carnatic Connection

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Silambam Houston returns to Miller Outdoor Theater with The Baroque-Carnatic Connection

Houston, TX – The Silambam Houston Dance Company will be back at the Miller Outdoor Theater on June 7, 2024, with an original production titled ‘The Baroque-Carnatic Connection’ – a cross-cultural exploration of the commonalities and distinct flavors of Western baroque and South Indian classical music and dance traditions.

A vibrant and interactive live musical conversation between world-class Carnatic and baroque musicians (Apollo Chamber Players, Roopa Fine Arts) provides a unique auditory experience, with a striking visual dimension added by professional South Indian classical ( Bharatanatyam) and Baroque dance ensembles (the Silambam Houston Dance Company and the New York Baroque Dance Company), embellished by period costumes and jewelry.

Conceptualized, directed, and choreographed by Lavanya Rajagopalan, the production also includes Baroque choreography by Catherine Turocy, overall music direction by Abhishek Balakrishnan, and Baroque music arrangement by Matthew Detrick. Main performers include Abhishek Balakrishnan ( Carnatic vocal and violin), Naga Srinidhi Kuruvada ( mridangam), Jahnavi Murali (Carnatic cello), and Lavanya Rajagopalan (nattuvangam), Matthew Detrick (Baroque violin), Emily Zelaya (Baroque violin) Sergein Yap (Baroque viola), Matthew Dudzik (Baroque cello), and Jesús Pacheco (Baroque percussion), as well as lead dancers from the Silambam Houston and the New York Baroque Dance Companies.

This performance is made possible by a grant from the Miller Theater Advisory Board. Silambam Houston programming is supported by funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, the BIPOC Arts Network and Fund, and Dance Source Houston.

More information and tickets are available at milleroutdoortheatre.com/performance/dance-of-the-cosmos-produced-by-silambam-houston/.

About Silambam Houston:

Now in its 22nd year, Silambam is Houston’s premiere nonprofit Indian classical arts organization. Silambam’s artistic programming is a unique blend of high-quality arts education, outreach, performance, and presentation that enriches communities through cross-cultural exchange. The organization’s new performing arts center in Pearland, TX, houses its community classes and arts programs. Designed to convert from classroom/studio space to a small-sized black-box theater, the Center is equipped with theatrical lighting, sound, and soft goods and raised seating.  In addition to its programs in Pearland, Silambam also holds arts education programs in the Houston Heights area, and regularly presents both community outreach and performance programming at venues across Houston, including the Children’s Museum, K-12 schools, libraries, the Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston (which also houses its administrative office), and Miller Outdoor Theater.