Alarmél Valli—Flowers of the Kurunci: Melding Dance, Poetry & Music

Choreographer Padma Bhushan Alarmél Valli is acclaimed internationally for her ability to turn traditional dance vocabulary into deeply personal poetry. Her dance is uncompromisingly classical but at the same time an undeniable language of self-expression.

Valli is guru to Ragamala Dance Company artistic directors Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy, who have been studying Bharatanatyam, a genre of Indian classical dance, under Valli since they met her in Minneapolis in 1984. Their training with this master artist formed the foundation of their aesthetic and has been fundamental to the work of the company.

In her art, Valli seamlessly weaves together threads of the sacred and the sensual, the human and the divine—a hallmark of classical Indian arts. Yet she is equally well known for her eloquent lectures on the multidimensional nature of dance. Here she will discuss the complex and integral roles that literature, poetry, and music play in her work and share her thoughts on the rich subtlety of some the great poetic traditions of South India.

Valli’s performances have been presented at landmark opera houses and theaters worldwide. Highlights include the Bolshoi Theatre, the Vienna International Dance Festival, the Munich Opera Festival, the Edinburgh Festival, the Avignon Festival, the Venice Biennale, and the Royal Albert Hall in London, among others. She has won numerous awards, including two of India’s highest civilian awards of Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan and the Chevalier of Arts and Letters from the government of France.

This activity is presented by the Asian Art Affinity Group with Yogavaram and Ragamala Dance Company and made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, and the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Crane Group.

Free, Tickets required. To register, call 612.870.6323 or reserve online.