Date:02/01/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/01/02/stories/2007010214600200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

`Kodai's dream' on January 6

Staff Reporter

Lakshmi Iyengar

BANGALORE: Rasika, a city-based organisation promoting art, will present an evening of Bharatanatya with Lakshmi Iyengar, in association with the Los Angeles-based Rangoli Dance Company, at A.D.A. Rangamandira here at 6.30 p.m. on January 6. Ms. Iyengar and other members of the troupe will present "Kodai's dream," choreographed by Rangoli's founder and artistic director Malathi Iyengar of Rangoli (Ms. Malathi Iyengar is originally from Bangalore and she is now settled in Los Angeles).

"Kodai's dream" is an effort to bring to stage through artistic dance sequences the story of southern India's beloved 8th century saint Kodai. The performances of the piece in the U.S. with Ms. Lakshmi Iyengar playing the lead role have been hailed in the media there for "romantically inspired metaphors in these poem-hymn cycles that breathed relevance into images of a young female cowherd's divine crush".

Ms. Malathi's critically acclaimed choreographic works in the past decade include "Enduring Traditions", "Punyakoti", "Tulasi", "Sacred Geometry", "Love Lyrics", and "Ramayana".