BALAM Dance Theatre: BALAM Dance Theatre to Debut A Multicultural Ramayana: A Blending of Balinese and Spanish Cultures.

BALAM Dance Theatre premieres its new Out & About series program, A Multicultural Ramayana, a performance of a beloved Hindu myth, featuring Balinese fusion and Spanish dances performed to live Indonesian gamelan music. The performance will be presented at The Pied Piper Children's Theatre of NYC & Delphi Theatre The Community Theatre Outreach Ministry of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church located at 20 Cumming Street in New York City on Friday, April 15 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The family-friendly program is free and open to the public.


BALAM Dance Theatre's Ramayana. Photo Credit: Neil Sapienza

Good Versus Evil

The story of the Ramayana presents a narrative of good versus evil between archetypal characters with good triumphing and restoring the balance of order between cosmic forces of creation and destruction.

"This new rendition of BALAM Dance Theatre's signature work of the story ballet inspired by the Hindu epic, Ramayana: Abduction of Sita, reveals with greater clarity one of its deeper themes, a call for unity and peace. Presenting work that express a message of inclusion and forgiveness is particularly poignant," said Carlos Fittante, Artistic Director, BALAM Dance Theatre.

The New York City-based company offers a new vision of contemporary dance by combining ballet, modern and diverse cultural dance styles from around the world and historic periods with Balinese theatre. This latest program from BALAM’s community Out & About series features the company’s Artistic Director Carlos Fittante as Rama and performer Toshinori Hamada as Rahwana. Yumiko Niimi returns to the company to perform the role of Princess Sita. Boonyarith Pankamdech, a specialist in Martha Graham Contemporary Dance Technique, joins as Hanuman-The Monkey King.

Flamenco Stand-Up Comedian

BALAM's resident actor Inma Heredia, the world's first and only flamenco stand-up comedian, will perform La Chispa de Andalucia (The Spark of Andalusia). She will tell the story in English and Spanish and offer dramatic narration interspersed throughout the dance and music segments.

Inma Heredia

"I am happy to bring the heart and warmth of Latin culture to BALAM's multicultural program!" stated Heredia.

Barbara Romero, BALAM’s Spanish Escuela Bolera dance specialist, debuts as the Golden Deer. Her piece will utilize a 19^th century Spanish escuela bolera dance movement, while playing castanets performed to the live gamelan music.

Gamelan Son of Lion will perform live an original gamelan score of vibrant Indonesian music. The New York City based

instrumental ensemble specializes in contemporary pieces written for the instruments of the Javanese gamelan.

Gamelan Son of Lion

The costumes, designed by the company's late founding director Islene Pinder, were created in Bali and are variations on traditional Balinese dance costumes. The props used in the ballet were handcrafted in Bali and suggest the forest of Alengka, where, according to the Ramayana myth, the story unfolds. The movement styles utilized in the fusion ballet blend Balinese, ballet, modern, Baroque, and karate movement, reflecting the dance skills of the BALAM company members.

The show will include an audience participation segment and a question and answer period. Limited seating is available. For further information, call BALAM Dance Theatre at 646-361-9183 or send an email to balamdancetheatre@gmail.com.

A Multicultural Ramayana is made possible in part with public funds from the Fund for Creative Communities, supported by New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.

About BALAM

BALAM has performed throughout the United States and internationally at renowned venues such as: Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, American Museum of Natural History, and the Bali International Arts Festival. Its work has received acclaim from audiences, critics, scholars, and dignitaries alike, including critical praise mentioned in the New York Times, Village Voice, and endorsements from the Indonesian Consulate of New York, and the Governor of Bali.

The company's long standing interest in dance research, along with its extensive collection of Balinese masks, and cutural costumes and props, make it a resource for educators, artists, and scholars.

The Deeper Meaning of the "Ramayana"

By Shelley Lynne Cummins, www.jaisriyogis.com/

Shelley Lynne Cummins is a yoga and Oneness Blessing trainer, as well as a dancer.

The first two limbs in the eight fold path of yoga are the Yamas, Awareness of the obstacles in life, and Niyamas, cultivating practices to remove the obstacles. As these limbs are activated in harmony, a balance or zero point arrives allowing causality to permeate. The classic tale of the Ramayana is a perfect depiction of this inner balance Of polarities producing unity.

As a dancer and yogini, I have had the great opportunity to study and dance the Ramayana for many years. Every time I enter into this great epic, new realizations are found. It is likened to the dance of day, going to sleep and awaking again in the morning for a new play. Amidst the routines of life subtle realizations appear as the mystery of unity Dances around in the unseen worlds.

A yogini's reflection of this great great tale.

The Ramayana is the story of the divine marriage within. It is everyone's story with all the players aspects of their self. The story begins with a happy and harmonious marriage of Sita and Rama. Sita symbolizes the balanced female and Rama the balanced male within each individual.

One day Sita is enticed by a golden deer into the cave of the evil demon, Rawana.

The capture of Sita is a metaphor of the ego consciousness trying to gain control over the potential of all. The golden deer represents the possible deception and false allure of the illusion of this physical plane.

Upon hearing the news of Sita's capture, Rama gives his golden ring to Hanuman the Monkey King. He orders Hanuman to deliver the ring to Sita so she will know help is on the way.

Here Rama embodies his higher masculine qualities of protection of the unseen and the absolute creation which lives in his word.

The ring symbolizes the circle of light around the body, known as the merkabah or golden carriage of light.

Hanuman the Monkey King represents our monkey mind constantly chattering. As our mind unites with the purpose of reinstalling causality, it becomes a servant of the heart. In service Hanuman flies across the ocean to deliver the ring to Sita. He is able to tap into the One Heart Mind And use his merkabah to transport himself where needed.

Hanuman delivers the ring to Sita and upon his return tells Rama of her whereabouts. Rama goes to fight the evil demon, Rawana, for the release of Sita.

Rama is fighting the ultimate battle of light and dark in order to regain the feminine intuitive, All knowing, nurturing life force. The light always wins as it illuminates the dark corners and shadows. Rama reunites with Sita and together they live happily ever after in the diversity and play of unity.

And to think we know the whole story, the entire ring in the circle of life.We boldly go on experiencing each section of the ring.

As Joseph Campbell says: We are each a heroine or hero on a great journey.We begin enlightened creating a life of experiences in order to realize and reunite with our all encompassing light.