The prolific Sufi poet Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī, has inspired interpretations in music, dance and visual arts for nearly eight centuries. Pranita Nayar’s new dance work, With Rumi is no less inspired, as she paints a contemporary vision for his lyrical and at times overwrought meditations on love, passion and the Self. Pranita’s path with Sufi poetry and music has been lifelong, but this multimedia project culminates after years of development with experts in Persian traditional art forms from translators to dancers and musical composers. 

 

With Rumi premieres September 26th to a limited audience at Mana Contemporary’s High Concept Labs where in-person audiences will view the performance through glass.

 

Virtual viewing will be available September 26th through October 4th for those who register. Audiences will see physical interpretations of Sufi poetry–from Rumi to Haft Peykar–through Bharatanatyam-rooted movement, “danced” calligraphy and animation.

 

The performance will feature a live cello performance by up and coming youth artist, Manou Magdalena Chakravorty, who will perform a new piece composed by Persian musician, Niloufar Nourbakhsh. Other featured artists include Farzad Amoozegar, Laksha Dantran, Keeley Morris, Nicole Volpe, and Ashwaty Chennat, with costuming by Pranita’s ongoing collaborator Tara Perry.