A still from the Ganesha dance with which I opened Dances of India’s 42nd Annual Performance in November 2019. Photographer: Mike Oransky
Hello there! So I promised myself I’d update my blog more regularly and I still don’t seem to. I suppose I just don’t feel that need. But the last few months have been so intellectually enriching in so many ways:
—I told a story at the Arts & Faith concert at the Sheldon on September 15, 2019. A magical experience, to tell a tale based on two of our dance performances around town—which were quite enchanting yet comical (!)—and have people laugh along. :-)
—I gave a couple of Gallery Talks in October at the Saint Louis Art Museum, on The Silk Road, Buddhism, Hinduism…which incorporated the fascinating exchange of ideas, dreams, cultures, over the span of centuries….
—We gave our 42nd performance in November, which featured classical Indian dances, a wonderful piece by Ashleyliane Dance Company to a thillana, and a production I wrote and narrated: You Are My True Reflection: The Secret Letters of Radha & Krishna. This featured an interesting spin on the most romantic & philosophical myth in Hinduism: the enduring love between Krishna and his beloved Radha: What if Krishna wrote Radha letters after he left her?
—I completed a novel based on our 2017 production Devi of the Ashes—or, Cinderella in India. It’s a deeper Cinderella than the one we’re used to, but it brings the world of ancient India—from the kings, princesses, and astrologers, to curses, prayers, and temples—to life. I have posted an excerpt on this site (please look above)—please have a look!
—I also gave classes at Ladue Chapel on Buddhism & the Silk Road every Sunday in September. We had a most interesting group every Sunday…just the kind of discussion perhaps the Buddha himself had, with his disciples…in the deep silence of the forest…