Colourful costumes, lilting music and exquisite settings will be among the features of a dance drama scheduled to be held in Auckland this quarter.
Taj Mahal will bring together an array of talent drawn from various resident ethnic groups to bring back to life one of the most romantic stories of the Mughal Era in India.
This spectacular musical dance drama will be staged at ASB Theatre in Auckland’s Aotea Centre on March 31, 2012 at 630 pm.
It will unfold an epic tale of love, which inspired Emperor Shah Jahan to construct the Taj Mahal in the 17th Century.
The magnificent marble mausoleum, built in Agra, near Delhi, is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, attracting millions of visitors from all over the globe. Heads of State and celebrities are among them.
Cultural extravaganza
Aiswarya Entertainments Limited is re-creating this great era in human history in a dance format, capturing the cultural and social heritage of India.
More than 100 artistes are involved in this mammoth production, which will feature dialogues in English for wider audience appeal.
Narsing Rao, President and Director of the Hyderabad based Nrityanjali Academy is the principal director and choreographer of the extravaganza.
He was in Auckland in April and May last year to choose dancers and teachers and explain to them various aspects of the show. Auckland based classical dance teachers Anuradha Ramkumar, Selvi Uthayakumaran, Shweta Divekar, Vatsala Balachandran and Rahul Chopra are choreographing the dance items.
Mr Rao will visit Auckland shortly to give final touches and take charge of the overall production.
Auckland based Windfall Global Alliance is the Title Sponsor of Taj Mahal: A Dance Drama.
Director Sasi Nambissan said that Aiswarya Entertainments Limited was reaching out to all ethnic groups in New Zealand since ‘Taj Mahal’ enjoys universal appeal.
“We are keen to take New Zealanders through this unique experience of a golden era in the Indian history, simultaneously promoting ethnic harmony with their involvement as artistes and production personnel,” he said.
International expertise
Mr Nambissan said Peter van Gent of VanGent Productions has been appointed as production Manager for the show.
“Peter brings a wealth of knowledge in the technical area. A specialised sound engineer, he has several national and international shows to his credit. The appointment of Carol Harding as stage manager, who has experience in organising mega events such as ‘Christmas in the Park,’ will enhance the value of Taj Mahal,” he said.
Technical Coordinator Anil Kunjunny is busy with the digital props incorporating high definition images depicting the moods and colours of various scenes, short movie clips & 3D animations.
Marketing Coordinator Sreekumar Puli said that he and his team will strive hard to promote the project through various avenues.
“Our marketing activities span the spectrum of social media sites including Facebook and Twitter. We are confident that a number of commercial undertakings will find value in taking up sponsorship in other available categories. We are rising up to the challenges,” he said.
Dr Rita Sasidharan is a Director of Aiswarya Entertainments Limited, organiser of the forthcoming dance drama, Taj Mahal. She lives in Auckland.
