NATyA, the first Bay Area dance company to merge various forms of classical Indian dance, premieres a stunning interpretation of an ancient epic in their third annual production:
lost tales
glimpses from 1000 Ramayanas

*** Three Bay Area shows ***

Sunday June 4, 4 PM
CounterPULSE
1310 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
SOLD OUT!

Friday June 9, 8 PM
Hoover Theater
1635 Park Avenue (at Naglee)
San Jose, CA 95126

Saturday June 10, 4 PM
Julia Morgan Center for the Arts
2640 College Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704

Most variations of the ancient Indian epic – the Ramayana – are little known today. NATyA’s production, Lost Tales: Glimpses from 1000 Ramayanas, weaves together the forgotten voices of this epic tale, rendering heroes and villains in vividly human hues.

Lost Tales is a remarkable collaboration of diverse art forms and artists. The production combines the Indian classical dance traditions of Bharatnatyam, Kathak, and Odissi, set to an eclectic musical backdrop of Carnatic, jazz, and world rhythms, and punctuated by spoken word poetry. This one-of-a-kind production is designed for all audiences, even those not versed in the Ramayana or classical Indian dance.

In the popular telling of the Ramayana, Lord Rama is a heroic figure representing the ideal man, and is accompanied by his beautiful and faithful wife, Sita, symbolizing the ideal woman. Their adventures culminate in the victory over the demonic archenemy, Ravana. In Lost Tales, however, we hear Sita as defiant, not docile, and we see King Ravana as righteous and devout, not villainous. Even the valiant Rama experiences indecisiveness, remorse, and longing. Lost Tales highlights the inner voices of profoundly human characters, otherwise invisible to us.

Since its inception in 2003, NATyA has had over 75 performances, including the Dance IS festival in Berkeley and the Women on the Way and Women of the World festivals in San Francisco. NATyA’s performances have received critical acclaim:

“… stunning fusion of modern music and innovative choreography that had the audience screaming for more.
… not only joyful to watch, but entertaining and enlightening as well.”
– Mary Alice Fry, Artistic Director, Footloose, and Producer, Women of the World

NATyA’s mission is to help audiences appreciate classical Indian dance traditions — their vibrant energy, geometry, rhythm, sophisticated alphabet of gestures and expressions, and their history. Through narration, contemporary music, and portrayals of familiar world stories, NATyA brings out fresh blossoms from ancient roots. Lost Tales’ dynamic and multidimensional portrayal of the Ramayana is certain to enthrall audiences of all ages and ethnicities.