About Añjasa

Apsaras Arts Ltd, Singapore

“Añjasa” (pronounced as “Anyasa”) means “the path” in Pali, the classical language of Buddhism. In this sequel to Nirmanika - The Beauty of Architecture by Apsaras Arts, Añjasa explores the beauty of Buddhist temple architecture. The audience will journey through monuments including Mahadevi Temple in Nepal, Buddha Gaya Maha Bodhi Temple and Sanchi Stupa in India, Vattadage in Sri Lanka, the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangoon, Bayon in Cambodia and the Borobudur in Indonesia. This thematic dance presentation will also speak about the Buddhist emperors, Asoka and Jayavarman VII, who were iconic in the spread of Buddhism across Asia. Experience the wonders of Buddhist monuments through the expressions and movements of classical dance style, Bharatanatyam.

The performance features Singaporean dancers from Apsaras Arts and guest dancers from India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, with live music accompaniment by Singaporean musicians and guest musicians from India.

With over three decades of prolific international productions, Apsaras Arts has grown into a dance company that has gained recognition in Indian dance-theatre, enjoying successful performances worldwide. Apsaras Arts was founded in Singapore in 1977 by Shri S Sathyalingam and Smt Neila Sathyalingam of Kalakshetra, India. Graduates of Apsaras Arts have founded branches for Apsaras Arts in Australia (Adelaide & Canberra) and in the USA (Boston, Richmond and Phoenix).

Since 2002, Apsaras Arts has emerged as a premier professional performing arts company, focusing on creating new works presented at local and international festivals

Some of Apsaras Arts’ recent productions include “Nirmanika – The Beauty of Architecture”, “Aalam – The Banyan Tree of Bharatanatyam”, “Dasa Maha Vidhya” , “The Heroines Raja Ravi Varma”, “Sita’s Magical Forest”, and “ANGKOR - An untold story”. Most of the dance productions of have been on tours to India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, United Kingdom and Australia.

Apsaras Arts is the recipient of the Singapore’s National Arts Council’s Seed Grant (Organisational Development) for Traditional Arts FY12-FY13 and Annual Arts Major Grant FY14-FY17.

“Neila SathyalingamFounder and Artistic Director, Apsaras Arts

Neila Sathyalingam began dancing at the age of five, and trained in the classical Indian dance traditions of Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali and Manipuri at the Shanti Kumar School of Dance and the Kalaya School of Dance in Colombo. In 1954, she won the gold medal at the All-Ceylon Dance Festival and was selected to perform for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. At the age of 18, she enrolled in Kalakshetra, Chennai, India, under the tutelage of its founder Srimathi Rukmini Devi Arundale, graduating with a first-class honours diploma in Bharatanatyam and was appointed as one of the faculty members for dance at Kalakshetra.Together with her husband, Shri Suntharalingam Sathyalingam founded Apsaras Arts in Singapore in 1977, and have since been promoting Indian traditional art forms in a multiracial Singapore. She has also actively collaborated with other ethnic dance, music and dance ensembles and government bodies to promote Indian dance forms in Singapore and also gaining international recognition. Neila has been successful in creating many dancers and dance teachers through her dedicated teaching. Her students have established their dance careers in Singapore and several countries around the world. Neila has been bestowed many prestigious titles including Singapore’s Cultural Medallion in 1989 and Viswa Kala Bharathi in 1995. She was inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame in 2014, for her outstanding contribution to Indian arts.

We are surrounded by the glorious celebration of Singapore’s 50th Anniversary. We, my late husband Viswa Kala Bharathi Mr. Eelanallur S. Sathyalingam and I, as Pioneers in the Indian Arts

in Singapore have been lauded; appreciated; feted and remembered during 2014/15. This is the very opportune time for us Pioneers in the Arts, to shine the spotlight on the 2nd and 3rd generation of young Singaporean Artistes, who have already taken our batons and who certainly will achieve our artistic vision in the 21st century. Anjasa is an original and new creation of the 2nd and 3rd generation of young dancers; artistes and choreographers of Apsaras Arts, collaborating with their counterparts from Sri Lanka; India and Malaysia. Our vision for Apsaras Arts is that we Singaporeans support and uplift our young artistes who have taken on the challenges and risks of dedicating their lives to the Indian arts in Singapore.

We are very grateful to our Apsaras Arts advisory board members, especially Ambassador K Kesavapany; Dr. Ma Swan Hoo (Mrs. Balaji Sadasivam); Mr. Liew Chin Choy, Mdm Som Said and Dr. Padma Subramaniyam (India) – each one of them nurture and support the vision-mission of the young, new leadership team at Apsaras Arts and our dancers;

We sincerely appreciate the Guest of Honour Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who himself is a practising Buddhist. Despite his heavy work schedule as our Minister of National Development, he has humbly taken time to be present, to show our younger generation at Apsaras Arts, his kind support.

We are thankful to the wonderful and generous key sponsors of Anjasa – The Buddhist Library Singapore and Singapore Buddhist Meditation Centre and to the National Arts Council, Singapore for their unlimited support, help and advice, always;

My humble thanks to the visiting musicians and dancers they have rehearsed, tirelessly. Working on such collaborative projects enables us to raise the calibre of each and every one of the Singaporean dancers of Apsaras Arts to an international standard.

I thank each and every one of you, the audience, for your staunch support and unwavering belief in the burgeoning talents of the team that is propelling Apsaras Arts team forward and onwards.

I still remain active and on hand to guide our Apsaras Arts team, for the love and care I show for each one of these youngsters helps to make them want to work in the Arts with passion and purpose. We the Sathyalingams sincerely bless each one of the Apsaras Arts team, to aim for excellence. Thank You.

Founder’s Message

Neila SathyalingamFounder & Artistic Mentor

About Neila Sathyalingam

Aravinth KumarasamyConcept, Music Composition, Choreography Design and Artistic Direction

Aravinth Kumarasamy is managing and creative director of Apsaras Arts. Aravinth’s unique talent is to conceptualize and create new dance productions for which he composes the music, writes lyrics and designs the choreography. Aravinth is an Artistic Director, Composer, Choreographer, Musician, Arts Activist, Producer, Transcultural Collaborator, Researcher, Arts Presenter, Speaker and a Peace Ambassador. He is the proud recipient of several awards including the Singapore’s Young Artiste Award by the National Arts Council of Singapore, “Bhartha Kala Mani” by Apsaras Arts, Singapore and “Nrithya Vaarithi” by Padmashri Vazhuvoor Ramaiya Pillai, Chennai, India. For his contributions to Indian Dance, he was honored by the Mayor of Croydon, UK in 2011 and was presented the “Kala Sadhana” award by AruSri Art Theater, Sri Lanka in 2014.

ArtisticDirector’s Message

About aravinth Kumarasamy

“Anjasa is a continuation of the vision of the earlier dance production “Nirmanika – The Beauty of Architecture” which was first staged in 2010 and has been on many

international tours. While exploring and depicting the beauty of Asian Buddhist monuments is the main theme of the concept of Anjasa, interestingly, the path led me into the life and times of three great leaders of Asia - Gautama Buddha, emperor Asoka of India and emperor Jayavaraman VII of Cambodia, during the research phase of this dance production. Due to its origins as a “Temple Dance” form, Bharatantayam relies heavily on the iconography and the narratives of Hinduism. Conceiving and choreographing a Buddhist theme in the language of Bharatanatyam has been an interesting experience given that both Hindusim and Buddhism have many commonalities in terms of philosophical concepts, way of life, and iconography. Anjasa has given me an opportunity to tap into my life’s experiences during my younger days in Sri Lanka, many visits to Indonesia, India, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, which has inspired the overall visual imagery of the production.

Anjasa means “path” in Pali, and this production has led me and the artistes on a journey, understanding, admiring and appreciating the spirit of Asians in their pursuit in search for peace and enlightenment. As always, the process and the journey in creating a work like Anjasa has been enlightening to learn more about the world and rewarding in collaborating and working with many talented artistes from Singapore and abroad. The “path” to the making of Anjasa has been very fulfilling and I am reminded of one of Buddha’s sayings – “It is better to travel well, than to arrive.”. I sincerely hope that you will enjoy this journey in seeking the path through dance and music in Anjasa.

Aravinth KumarasamyApsaras Arts

Interesting facts about añjasa 12

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Anjasa is the first dance production to be staged in the newly renovated Victoria Theatre by Apsaras Arts.

Añjasa is the second dance production as a sequel “Nirmanika – The Beauty of Architecture” by Apsaras Arts.

Añjasa combines three elements to create the imagery – choreography, iconography and costume design.

The dancers and musicians performing for Añjasa come from four countries namely, Singapore, Sri Lanka, India and Malaysia.

Añjasa illustrates the Pancha-Sila, the five precepts prescribed by Buddha.

The orchestra for Añjasa consists of six different instruments – Violin, Flute, Mridangam, Er Hu, Yang Ching and Rhythm Pad.

The monuments depicted in Añjasa are from seven Asian countries, namely, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand.

Añjasa incorporates all the nine sentiments (nava rasas) in the choreography as detailed in the Natya Shastra, a treatise on Indian dance and theatre by sage Bharatha two thousand years ago.

The costume design of Añjasa consist of ten different types of head gear to denote the various characters portrayed by the dancers.

From conceptualization, research and to production Añjasa has taken eleven months of creative production time.

Añjasa features twelve Bharatanatyam dancers

Añjasa takes the audience on a journey to eight Buddhist monuments – Lumbini, Buddha Gaya, Sanchi, Vattadage, Shwedagon Pagoda, Bayon, Wat Po and Borobudur.

Headgear of QueenMaha Devi

Headgear of King Jayavarman VII

Headgear of King Asoka

Headgear of Dancer

Headgear of Prince Siddhartha

Headgear of Mara Assistant

Headgear of Mara

Sypn osis Anjasa…a pathway to the wonders of monuments that tell a story.

Of one man’s – then many men’s – reach for enlightenment, from centuries ago, through the mists of time, across vast lands and territories, the search spread and continued.

It grew more complex, ever more challenging,but one man’s personal search was the bedrock that marked the search, for all who followed.

From the birthplace of this one man, Siddhartha, to the sprawling regions of India, Ceylon, Burma, Cambodia and Indonesia…

The monuments that were built in his name, continuing with his search….are as haunting and sacred as they were centuries ago.

Telling stories of the spread of his teachings…and the stages along one’s life path.

Was Siddhartha Gautama born here? Does his energy still pervade?

Here at the Main Temple of the Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini, Nepal, a place of a sacred garden and a sacred pool, a place of signs and portents, a place of tree shrines, the earliest Buddhist tree shrine in the world.

A man who will change history was born here beneath a sal tree, while his Queen mother supported herself with a branch, and, it is said, a miracle unfolded.

With each step he took, they say, a lotus flower bloomed. And a mother’s dream of a blessing to come, of a Divine birth, came true.

It was a birth-meant-to-be – a final birth – for it is said that he uttered the words: “I am chief of the world, Eldest am I in the world, Foremost am I in the world. This is the last birth. There is now no more coming to be.”

It is the great war of Kalinga – the call to battle, the gleam of sharpened blades and spears,a bloodthirsty King Ashoka desires conquest and must have it.

It will be a never-before conquest of a proud and independent state. King Ashoka will wage it with a vengeance…hundreds of thousands dead and deported…

Fields of blood and bodies everywhere, the keening and wailing of those left behind. Victory was not sweet, triumph replaced by horror and guilt

ACT 1Lumbini (Nepal)

What have I done? If this is a victory, what is defeat then? Is this a victory or a defeat? Is this justice or injustice? Is it valour to kill innocent children and women? Did I do it to widen the empire and for prosperity or to destroy the other’s kingdom and splendour? One has lost her husband, someone else, a father, someone, a child, someone, an unborn infant.... What’s this debris of the corpses? Are these marks of victory or defeat? Are these vultures, crows, eagles the messengers of death or evil?

A timely encounter with a monk reveals the truth, that peace is the way forward.

Spiritually vanquished and filled with remorse and pain.King Ashoka and his queen, Devi, establish the Great Stupa at Sanchi, India.

A great symbol of Buddhism in India, their commitment to Buddhism made tangible. A simple structure for a simple belief system which could unite people everywhere,and Ashoka would ensure its spread across Asia and the world.

ACT 3 Sanchi (India), Vattadage (Sri Lanka) , Byon (Cambodia)

Born a prince destined for a life of royalty, rich and gilded; but would he follow the destiny of his forefathers…or would he choose his own path?

Shielded from life’s sufferings….a first venture out of the palace and four sights would become the anchor of his beliefs.

An old man. A sick man. A corpse. An ascetic.

Suffering is the nature of human existence; suffering results from attachment; enlightenment and peace come with detachment.

These lessons…versus a whole life, as a husband, a new father, a son, an heir to the throne and a lifetime provided for. Four encounters that marked him…for the path in search of Enlightenment, leaving material and all bonds behind.

The path to Enlightenment is strewn with obstacles, tests;tests against weakness, greed, vanity, distraction…. and desire.

And here came the demon Mara, embodiment of all that is unwholesome and untrue.Determined to stop Enlightenment with promises of glory and pleasure, threats of harm and mockery,Then seduction, attemptedwith beauty and form tempting.Mara is determined to change realityDeny the Buddha the life of the spirit.

Tests, always tests.

ACT 2Buddhagaya(India)

bowl used by the Buddha,all agree it is a sacred place,its stone walls richly carved with images of the Buddha, the lotus flower, people and animals, in a dance of symbolism.

Swans, for the distinction between good and bad.Elephants, lions, horses and bulls, in a procession of the four stages of life – growth, energy, power, forbearance.Foliage, for worldly desires. And having passed through these – the lotus at the centre, for Enlightenment.

This is Bayon….Cambodia… A magical, haunting place of massive stone Buddha faces set on towers. And carvings in stone. Of scenes of battles, celestial dancers, myths and legends. Of moments in history and the everyday. Of the Hindu trinity of Siva, Vishnu and Brahma.

Here, in Bayon, where Buddhism and Hinduism co-exist peacefully. Two ways of life; two narratives.

To Sri Lanka, he sends his son, Mahinda, and his daughter, Sanghamitra.

A land down south ruled by a King. Ashoka’s children come as guests, bearing a most special gift.

Sanghamitra gifts a sapling of the sacred Bodhi tree,the tree under which the Buddha was said to have attained enlightenment. The sapling is accepted.

King Devanampiya Tissa plants it, and it takes root in Anuradhapura. It is a rooting, as the King embraces Buddhism and takes it as his own faith.

A reverence and a fire for Buddhism begins, monasteries are built, Buddhist missionaries supported and sent forth.

Here where the Bodhi tree sapling flourishes – this is Vattadage Pollannaruva. Some say it was built to housethe Buddha tooth relic, some say it was to hold the alms

Gilded and richly gleaming, and here are relics and miracles to be found.There is a story. Of two brothers who met the Buddha in his lifetime and received eight of his hairs.They travelled back to Burma and found Singguttara Hill where the relics of previous Buddhas were enshrined.

On opening the casket in which the hairs were kept;“There was tumult among men and spirits…rays emitted by the Hairs penetrated up to the heavens above and down to hell…the blind beheld objects…the deaf heard sounds…the dumb spoke distinctly…the earth quaked…the winds of the ocean blew…Mount Meru shook…lightning flashed…gems rained down until they were knee deep…all trees of the Himalayas, though not in season, bore blossoms and fruit.”

This is Shwedagon Pagoda.

Action is followed by reaction, birth and re-birth.

How to escape this cycle? How to follow the path to Enlightenment?

Live by the five precepts...the Panchasila:

Do not kill or bring harm to any living beingDo not stealDo not lieDo not be unfaithfulDo not consume intoxicants

Borobudur….Borobudur….Its very name stirring and evocative of meditation…resonanceWhere the pilgrim’s journey begins at the baseClimbing up along corridors and stairways adorned with stories carved on wallsmoving through three worldsOf desire; of form; of formlessness – toward Enlightenment.Here, in this ancient place, ancestor worship is blended with the concept of Nirvana.

And in this invitation, lies the messagethat anyone can be an Enlightened one,anyone can seek his own path toward Enlightenment.

ACT 4 Shwedegon (Myanmar)

ACT 5Buddha’s Teachings - Panchasila

ACT 6Borobudur (Indonesia)

Finale - Wat Po (Thailand)

B I O G RAPH I ES

Mohanapriyan ThavarajahChoreographer Leading Dance Artiste

Mohanapriyan Thavarajah hailing from Batticaloa, Srilanka is an excellent and versatile Bharathanatayam and Kuchippudi artiste, and has performed all over India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Australia and Europe. He is a gold medal holder for both Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Bharathanatyam with distinction, awarded by Bharathidasan University, India. He has taught Bharathanatyam as a member of the faculty at Kalai Kaveri Collage for Fine Arts, India. Mohanapriyan has been the member of the AruSri Arts Theatre , Sri Lanka. Since 2012, he has been with Apsaras Arts, Singapore as the resident choreographer, dance artiste and instructor.

Mohanapriyan has been awarded the titles of “Valarum Saathanaiyaalar”, “Naati-ya Kalai Arasan”, Swami Vivekananda Award, “Nadana Kalai Arasan”, in appreciation to his dance performances in India. He was the first recipient of the “Natya Sadhana” award by AruSri Art Theater, Sri Lanka. Mohanapriyan regularly writes articles on dance for publications in India and Sri Lanka. He is currently a Phd candidate at the Tanjavur Tamil University, India.

As a choreographer and performer I am delighted to be a part of Anjasa. For me personally the Buddha statue is one of the most stunning creations ever in the world to depict peace through meditation. The choreography has been challenging and interesting to bring out the beauty of the Buddhist monuments. The Lotus is a common iconography in Buddhism. Many Buddhist legends portray the lotus, like how Buddha walked on the seven lotus flowers immediately after he was born. Hence I have conceived and designed the costumes and jewellery for this production based on the concept of the lotus. I’m very humbled and proud to have the opportunity to work under the guidance of Smt Neila Sathyalingam and Aravinth Kumarasamy.

-Mohanapriyan Thavarajah, Choreographer and Lead Dance Artiste

L a l i t h aR a m a n iSenior Dance Artiste

Lalitha Ramani is a senior dancer of Apsaras Arts who has been under the tutelage of Neila Sathyalingam from a young age. She has performed locally and overseas. Lalitha also received training under eminent gurus, who were visiting faculty members from Kalakshetra, India. She has been featured in several Apsaras productions including Aalam, Aarupadai, Ramayana, Heroines of Raja Ravi Varma, Krishna Leela and ANGKOR – An Untold Story. The beauty and spirituality of bharatanatyam motivates Lalitha to continue her journey in the art form.

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Senior Dance Artistes

D e va p r i ya A p pa nSenior Dance Artiste

S e e m a H a r i k u m a rSenior Dance Artiste

Devapriyan Appan grauated in Bahratanayam under the training of Neila Sathyalingam of Apsaras Art and has performed as a core member of the company in numerous productions such as Sivakami, Aarupadai, Chidambara Rahasyam, Aalam, Nirmanika, Dvayam, The Heroines of Raja Ravi Varma, Sita’s Magical Forest and Glimpses of Angkor. She has travelled widely in mnay of Apsaras Arts international tours including Australia, India, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. During her younger years Devapriya has been the member of the “Little Angels of Singapore” founded by Neila Sathyalingam and has travelled to perform at many European festivals.

Seema Harikumar is one of the prominent dancers among the new generation of Bharatanatyam dancers of Singapore. Seema Harikumar graduated in Bharathanatyam at Apsaras Arts under the tuteldge of Neila Sathyalingam and has traveled widely with Apsaras Arts at international arts festivals in Australia, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Bali, Vietnam, United Kingdom and Thailand, and has performed in Chennai for the music and dance season as well as in a landmark programme for the 1,000th anniversary of the Tanjore temple. Seema has been a core member of numerous creative productions of Apsaras Arts including Sivakami, Aarupadai, Chidambara Rahasyam, Aalam, Temple Dancer, Nirmanika, Dvayam, The Heroines of Raja Ravi Varma, Sita’s Magical Forest, Glimpses of Angkor and Angkor – An untold story.

Sa n g e e t h a V e n k i t tDance Artiste

S h r u t i va n d a n as h a r m aDance Artiste

P r e e t h iD e va r a n j a nDance Artiste

Sangeetha Venkitt Karthik is born in to a traditional dance family. She started her training in Bharatanatyam under the guidance of her mother, Guru Smt. Preetha Venkitt and her father Guru Sri. Kalamandalam Venkitt. Later on, she also learned Mohiniattam and Kathakali from her aunt Guru Smt. Kalamandalam Padmini and her father. She has also had further training under the guidance of Guru Sri Pasumarti Ramalinga Sastry and Guru Sri C.V. Chandrasekhar. Along with dance, she learnt music from Guru Smt. Saraswati Radhakrishnan and Guru Smt Girija Sivasailam. Sangeetha has performed in the festivals all over India and abroad. She has received a Senior Scholarship in the field of Bharatnatyam from Ministry of Culture, India (2013-2015). Presently she is a full time dancer at Apsaras Arts, Singapore.

Dr. Shrutivandana Sharma, an Assistant Professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design and a Bhratanatyam dancer, received her early training in Bharatanatyam from her aunt Prof. Layaleena Bhat in Varanasi, India. Under her tutelage she received Bachelors degree (‘Prabhakar’) in Bharatanatyam in 1999. Since then she has received advanced training from Mrs. Chitra Chandrasekhar Dasarathy (Bangalore), Ms. Malini Srinivasan (New York) and Prof. C. V. Chandrasekhar (Chennai), and has performed in several solo and group performances. She has been with Apsaras Arts since October 2014.

Preethi Devarajan started learning Bharatanatyam at the tender age of five. Under the tutelage of Guru Roopika Julian, Preethi transformed into a professional dancer. She completed her arangetram in 2012 and has since been regularly performing in Singapore and Chennai. Preethi holds a diploma in Bharatanatyam from SIFAS. She has performed in Hamsadwani NRI festival and in SIFAS Annual Dance and Music Festivals for many years in succession. Preethi was privileged to be part of ‘Pravaha’, a production by SIFAS, choreographed by Sheejith Krishna. She was part of the Indian Dance team in her secondary school, Cedar and won awards in the Singapore Youth Festival.

Dance Artistes

R a n j i n i G a n a pat h yDance Artiste

B a n u p r i ya P o n n a r as uDance Artist.

T h u vas k e r K a n as e r a j a hSri Lanka

A n a n d a r a j J aya r a jIndia

Pa r a m j o t h ym u t h u v e l uMalaysia

Ranjini joined Apsaras Arts in 2003 under the tutelage of Cultural Medallion Award Recipient, Viswa Kala Bharathi Smt. Neila Sathyalingam. Since 2004, Ranjini has been performing at various levels, representing Apsaras Arts and Singapore as a company dancer. In 2007, she represented Singapore in Shanghai in The Singapore Season. She has also performed actively and intensively in Australia, Indonesia, the UK, Cambodia and India. Ranjini also went on to perform in critically-acclaimed dance productions by Apsaras Arts. These included ‘Chidambara Ragasyam’, ‘Sivakaami’, ‘Apurva’ and ‘Aalam’ staged in Victoria Theatre and the Esplanade respectively. In 2011, presented by Milap Fest UK, Ranjini was part of the Apsaras Arts dance ensemble that performed ‘Nirmanika’. In 2014, she successfully presented her first thematic solo Bharatanatyam recital – Mriga Daya.

Banupriya Ponnarasu is a part-time company dancer and teacher at Apsaras Arts. She has been trained in the classical Indian dance form of Bharathanatayam for the past twelve years under the tutelage of cultural medallion recipient Shrimathi Neila Sathiyalingam. She has also undergone a teachers training course at Sahrdaya Foundation in Chennai (India) and to further hone her skills in Bharathanatyam. Apart from being a practitioner of the traditional art form, she has had exposure in various disciplines in dance through her dance experience at the People’s Association. She has been exposed to Modern Southeast Asian dance, Western contemporary dance, folk dance and Bollywood dance. Banu has also performed at a local and international platforms through Apsaras Arts. Her most recent performances are Angkor: An Untold Story held at the Esplanade Theatre in 2013. Currently she is pursuing her degree in BA(Hons) Arts Management at Lasalle College of the Arts.

Thuvasker Kanesarajah is a senior dance member of Aru Sri Art theatre Sri Lanka and has performed with Apsaras Arts in Angkor – An Untold Story. He is a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree holder in Fine Arts (Bharatanatyam) graduating from the Bharathidasan University, India. He has travelled widely performing in India and Sri Lanka. He is currently a visiting lecturer at Eastern Unversity of Fine Arts, Sri Lanka.

Anandaraj Jayaraj is from India and has graduated in both Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Fine Arts (Bharatanatyam) from the Bharathidasan University, India. Anand has performed widley in India. He is currently employed as a dance instructor in New Delhi, India.

Paramjothy Muthuvelu from Malaysia has been performing Bharata Natyam for the past 25 years in Malaysia, India, Thailand, Singapore, Mauritius and South Africa.He started learning at the age of seven under Mrs. Indra Manikam and later pursued under the tutelage of Sri Ganesan, a disciple of the late Kalaimamani K.J. Sarasa. He had the opportunity to have further training under Kalaimamani Lakshmi Vishwanathan and Nrityachoodamani Priyadarshini Govind at Dance India Asia Pacific organised by Apsaras Arts, Singapore. His’s personal goal is to become an established Bharata Natyam artiste and nurture development of this art form throughout the world.

Guest Dance Artistes

Apsaras Arts ackn owled g es th e su ppo rt o f its partn ers

CREDITsArtistic Mentorship and DirectionNeila Sathyalingam

Concept, Music Composition, Choreography Design and Creative DirectionAravinth Kumarasamy

Choreography, Costume and Jewellery DesignMohanapriyan Thavarajah

Guest ComposersDr Rajkumar Bharathi & Sheejith Krishna

Narrative Audrey Perera VoicingAmelia George

Stage ManagementRajyasri Muralidhar

Light DesignGeneveive Peck

DancersMohanapriyan Thavarajah Lalitha VenketasubramanianSeema Harikumar Devapriya Appan Sangeetha VenkittBanupriya PonnarasuSrutivandana SharmaPreethi DevarajanRanjini GanapathyThuvasker KanesharajahAnandraj JayarajParamjothi Muthuvelu

MusiciansT Ramanan – MridangamSreedev Rajagopalan – VocalsBombay Anand - ViolinPrasanna Kumar – PercussionsGovindarajulu Naidu – FluteStanley Ang – Yang ChinDarrel Xin – Erhoo

Wardrobe ManagersSelvy RadhakrishnanNagaletchumy Balasupramaniyam

Costume TailorKavicharan Costumes, Trichy, India

AccessoriesHiran Wejesekera, Sri Lanka

Photograophy and VideographyLijesh Karunakaran

Brochure DesignPriscilia Rui

Project AdministrationDhara KotakBanupriya Ponnarasu

Project AccountingLalitha Venketasubramanian

VolunteersSneha SashikumarNisha PillaiKalavathy Govindrajoo

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The company’s vision to bridge the producer-to-consumer equation in grain handling has been facilitated with the wholly owned subsidiary, Agrocorp Canada’s three high speed loading and cleaning processing plants. Inaugurated by the Honourable Lyle Stewart-Minister of Saskatchewan Agriculture in 2013, Agrocorp Processing Moose jaw is a large high throughput facility which can process 250,000 tonnes of grain annually and has the capacity of processing 100-150 tonnes of product per hour with 50 rail car spots. It is currently undergoing a 10,000mt storage expansion. Innisfail, Alberta plant has a storage capacity of 4,000 MT and has a handling capacity of 80,000 MT per annum with 30 rail car spots. We are in the process of acquiring a plant in Falher, Alberta. The plant with a storage capacity of 6000 MT can handle Peas, Wheat and Canola with a 30 rail car spot and the capacity to process 100,000 MT per annum.

Further strategic investments in Turkey, India and Myanmar are underway, which will enhance the company’s business in years to come. A highly experienced team of Traders, Shipping, Operations and Finance professionals ensure personalized service to the trade partners: Customers, suppliers, shipping lines, and bankers, with whom our motto “We Trade with Trust” stands in good stead.

We believe that social and cultural value creation has to keep pace with economic value for sustainable and inclusive growth. In 2014, we supported the Nature Cares Programme of the National Parks Board in Singapore. A musical event, Mystique 7 with the Singapore Indian Orchestra & Choir was organised to support Project Smile, a charity that supports under privileged women in the society.

Falher, Alberta

Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

Innisfail, Alberta

Presented by Apsaras Arts in Singapore, ��������������������� o�ers an amazing opportunity to learn from internationally renowned dance practitioners of India. Created by Milapfest,the UK's Indian Arts Development Trust, Dance India is a visionary dance educational programme designed for students, teachers and performing artistes of Indian Classical Dance, with an objective of o�ering a holistic approach to training, including dance technique, choreography, abhinaya, dance theory and to learn from showcase performances.

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Your opportunity to follow your dream to be a professional Indian Dance Artiste

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for more information and registration please contact Apsaras Arts Ltd, Block D #01-24, Goodman Arts Centre

90 Goodman Road, Singapore 439053 Phone +65 6573 5866

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