BALAM Dance Theatre: BALAM Blog Article

Baroque Themes of Love, Nature, Play, and Ritual Come Alive in BALAM Dance Theatre’s New Gotham Early Music Scene’s Program

This spring, BALAM Dance Theatre invites audiences to embark on a captivating journey through the elegance and exuberance of the Baroque era with our new program, Baroque Dance Fantasies from England, France and Spain!

Poised to take place at Gotham Early Music Scene’s (GEMS) Midtown Concerts Series, this enchanting performance on June 5, 2025 explores timeless themes of love, nature, play, and ritual through the company’s imaginative choreography.

From 1:15 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at St. Malachy's Church (The Actors’ Chapel) in New York City, attendees experience the beauty of Baroque dance in a peaceful setting. The concert is open to the public and free of charge. The program will be presented live and also live-streamed on the GEMS’ YouTube channel, making it accessible to everyone.

During the show, audiences will be treated to the exquisite music of Baroque masters, such as Henry Purcell, Jean Baptiste Lully, Francois Couperin, Jean Philippe Rameau, Louis Marchand, and Antonio Vivaldi.

To ensure the excellence of the work, BALAM has engaged an impressive ensemble of six stellar musicians, including Lisa Terry on Baroque cello, Dongmyung Ahn and Theresa Salomon on Baroque violin, Andrea Andros playing Baroque viola, Gabe Shuford on harpsichord, and Ryan Closs on Baroque guitar. The program also spotlights our A-team of three Baroque dancers with the lovely Yumiko Niimi, the compelling Robin Gilbert, and the gallant Carlos Fittante.
The event’s unique dance repertoire, The Old Bachelor, Harlequin Goes Bird Watching, and La Folia: A Spanish Fantasia, is a feast for the senses! Audiences will enjoy splendid period costumes and striking masks, lively castanets, and shimmering finger cymbals. Some creative surprises are also seen, including the integration of Balinese golden scrolled, jeweled leather bird wings and a handmade butterfly kite.

We invite you to join us and enjoy this outstanding program, offered only once, that celebrates the exquisite beauty of the Baroque period through BALAM's imagination of three distinct European sensibilities. (Photo Credit: Collage-BALAM Dance Theatre, Bird-Paul Ross of GEMS)

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.