World-Renowned Classical Indian Dancer Takes the Stage at MDC’s North Campus
MIAMI, Feb. 14, 2024 – Miami Dade College’s Live Arts Miami presents world-renowned dancer Bijayini Satpathy in her breathtaking solo performance Abhipssa: A Seeking, on Saturday, March 9, at MDC North Campus’ Lehman Theater.
Considered one of the world’s foremost masters of Odissi, Satpathy is acclaimed for her grace and embodies the spirit and profound storytelling of the classical Indian dance in a way few others have achieved. She is one of the most recognizable names in Indian dance today in large part due to her 25-year career with the famed Nrityagram Dance Ensemble. Now, in the prime of her artistic life, Satpathy embarks on a journey to expand the tradition through her own choreographic work.
Beyond the stage, Satpathy will also engage in series of residency activities at MDC leading up to her performance, interacting with classes at various campuses and offering master classes for the community.
“We are thrilled to welcome Bijayini back to Miami with an extraordinary experience that transcends cultural boundaries,” said Kathryn Garcia, executive & artistic director of Live Arts Miami. “We presented her in 2001 and 2006 with Nrityagram Dance Ensemble, so she is a beloved part of both our history and our future.”
In Abhipssa, Satpathy calls upon deep kinetic and emotional insights to evolve a revered cultural art form in an astonishing solo exploration. Comprising three distinct original dances, Abhipssa charts a profound journey of discovery in physical, emotional and spiritual realms. Satpathy expands the parameters of the tradition’s formal and representational norms through both narrative and non-narrative dances, reimagining classical Odissi forms through a modern lens. This work is a profoundly personal journey that invites the audience to experience incredible artistry and the evolution of a cultural art form.
Commissioned by Duke University and the Baryshnikov Arts Center, Abhipssa: A Seeking is a collaboration with musicians, composers, lighting and theatrical designers. Her work, which has received multiple awards, made its world premiere at Duke University in 2021 and is now touring worldwide. A selection of the piece was presented virtually by the Baryshnikov Arts Center in 2021, featuring introductions by Mikhail Baryshnikov and Mark Morris, both tremendous fans of Satpathy.
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WHAT: Live Arts Miami Presents Bijayini Satpathy in Abhipssa: A Seeking
WHEN: Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 8 p.m.
WHERE: MDC North Campus, Lehman Theater, 11380 N.W. 27th Ave.
About Bijayni Satpathy
Bijayini Satpathy has spent the last four years exploring her own choreographic path. She was the Artist-in-Residence with the Metropolitan Museum for the 2021-22 season. Her first choreographed work, Abhipsaa – A Seeking, was commissioned by Duke Performances, Baryshnikov Arts Center and NDP grant of NEFA and was premiered in 2021. Since then, she has created full length works like Call of Dawn, SiMA, Dohā, Rāgachitra and Sākshī. Bijayini will start a year-long fellowship this fall at the Centre for Ballet (CBA) affiliated with NYU, USA, to delve into another choreographic project. In 2020, she was the NY Dance and Performance Bessie Award Honoree and she was named the Best Solo Dancer in 2019 by Dance Magazine. She has been hailed by The New Yorker for her “exquisite grace and technique.” Satpathy has also been mentoring Odissi practitioners across the world through her unique pedagogy since 2020. Bijayini’s Odissi journey began at the age 7 at Orissa Dance Academy, in her birth place, Orissa. She became a part of Nrityagram in 1993 and worked in the capacity of a performer, teacher, research scholar and administrator until 2018.
ABOUT LIVE ARTS MIAMI
Live Arts Miami is one of the city’s oldest and boldest performing arts series: an action-driven, people-centered platform for powerful performances, impactful community programs, and learning experiences that spark dialogue, raise awareness around pressing issues, and open minds and hearts in all who take part. Created in 1990 as Cultura del Lobo, Live Arts Miami is proud to be a part of Miami Dade College’s celebrated Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information, please visit www.liveartsmiami.org and follow @liveartsmiami on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The programs of Live Arts Miami are funded by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council; the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; the Miami Beach Cultural Affairs Council; and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Live Arts Miami is a National Performance Network (NPN) partner. Major NPN contributors include the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Ford Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Media Inquiries and Interviews, please contact: Eddy Davis, edavis7@mdc.edu, 305-992-2997.