The dancing storyteller in Sri Lanka

Bharathanatyam exponent Savitha Sastri to perform “CHAINS: Love Stories of Shadows” tomorrow

Indian Bharathanatyam artiste Savitha Sastry is set to mesmerize Sri Lankan audiences with a Bharathanatyam dance theatre production; “CHAINS: Love Stories of Shadows” on July 6 at 7.30 p.m at the Lionel Wendt Theatre. The performance is an international dance theatre experience between Sri Lanka, India, and Singapore and is produced and presented by Red Creatives of Singapore in collaboration with Aru Sri Arts Theatre in Sri Lanka and Sai Shree Arts in India.   

CHAINS, is a stage production especially conceptualized as a dance-theatre presentation by Savitha Sastri, performed internationally over the past five years.   

The story and script is a product of A.K. Srikanth of Sai Shree Arts in India. 10 young Sri Lankan artistes will perform with India’s premier dance exponent Savitha Sastri who had performed earlier in Sri Lanka. The performers will include Thuvaraka Kirubakaran, Sudharshini Velayutham, Nishali Silva, Krishaani Rajkumar, Sharmila Subramaniam, Varaniyagowri Gowriraja, Dakshith Samaraweera, Satyamoorthi Thanushan and Jeganathan Sanjeevan representing Aru Sri Arts Theatre in Sri Lanka.   
So far CHAINS has been performed as a solo act. However the entire performance has been re-choreographed to be presented with a group, for the first time. 

CHAINS is a masterpiece that narrates the story of our lives. Centred on the protaganist Vichitra, the musical unfolds through the eyes of the artistes with every scene well crafted and seamlessly weaved through English narrative and soul-stirring world music 

Based on the original story by A.K. Srikanth, CHAINS is a masterpiece that narrates the story of our lives. Centred on the protaganist Vichitra, the musical unfolds through the eyes of the artistes with every scene well crafted and seamlessly weaved through English narrative and soul-stirring world music. CHAINS - will without a doubt impact even the most non-discerning audience. The score is by Rajkumar Bharathi, great-grandson of India’s prolific poet, Mahakavi Bharathiyar, a visionary of his times, the producer says.   

The event is being held in aid of the Cerebral Palsy Lanka Foundation and the proceeds will benefit the development of support services for children with Cerebral Palsy and associated movement disorders.   

CHAINS is the preliminary step towards a long-term initiative of nurturing a talented nation of creative excellence that will contribute towards positioning Sri Lanka as a global hub for the performing arts and creation of new works through international collaborations.   

It is hoped they would contribute towards continuous nurturing of a talent pool that will raise the bar of performing arts

This production is intended to provide opportunities for young Sri Lankans by learning from the expertise of established artistes in a global platform.   

It is hoped they would contribute towards continuous nurturing of a talent pool that will raise the bar of performing arts and ensure sustainability of this industry and to encourage preservation and promotion of Sri Lanka’s rich cultural traditions through the next generation, the producer says.