World premiere of ‘When the Sun Rises’ blends salsa and South Asian dance forms, exploring themes of cultural identity and community resilience in New York City.
Baila Society and Navatman are set to present the world premiere of When the Sun Rises, an innovative performance that merges salsa, Latin hustle, and traditional South Asian dance forms, including bharatanatyam and kathak. The production will take place from June 26 to 28 at the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater.
This performance is the second installment in the two organizations’ “Roots of Resilience” series. According to the directors, it marks a significant milestone as it represents the first time these four distinct dance forms have been combined into a single choreographic and musical work in New York City. An original score, crafted over nearly two years of collaboration, will be performed live by a group of nine musicians who embody both cultural traditions.
When the Sun Rises arrives at a time when national conversations surrounding immigration, cultural belonging, and the erasure of minority communities are intensifying. The performance is structured as a direct response to these pressing themes, employing a series of movements that explore separation, loss, grief, and the collaborative process of building community across differences.
Honoring Traditions Through Collaboration
The production places a strong emphasis on cultural preservation and a deeper exploration of established artistic heritages. Sahasra Sambamoorthi, the artistic director and co-founder of Navatman, has been recognized in the South Asian arts community as part of a generation that is reshaping the understanding and presentation of Indian classical forms in the United States.
Sambamoorthi explained that the collaboration was intentionally designed to delve deeper into the traditions and structures of the dance forms, rather than creating something entirely new. “We created an original musical composition of Indian and Afro-Cuban motifs. Creating this in this moment in time was more than a bit challenging, but we felt, with every fiber of our being, that it was urgently necessary. Who better to care for our art than those who live and breathe it? And, in doing so, we were able to discover more about our traditions than we could have imagined possible,” she said.
Ahtoy Juliana, founder of Baila Society and co-director of the production, echoed this sentiment regarding the project’s motivation. “We kept returning to the same question in the studio,” Juliana remarked. “What does it mean to make work that honors where it comes from, in a moment when so much is being taken from people who look like us, sound like us, and are considered outsiders here? We didn’t want to make the show just about the problem. We wanted to make a show that is the answer.”
Blending South Asian & Latin Rhythms
The performance features a rich tapestry of cultural styles, incorporating Afro-Cuban rumba and son, flamenco-inflected passages, and traditional South Asian elements such as kathak tabla and tatkaar sequences, alongside bharatanatyam varnam and salsa rhythmic forms. The presentation culminates in an extended finale that envisions a community led by its women, children, and elders.
The live original score boasts musical direction by Sambamoorthi, with compositional consultation from five-time Grammy-nominated percussionist Manuel Marquez. The ensemble includes Lulada Club musicians Andrea Chavarro, Katherine Ocampo, and Daniela Serna, alongside Ayamey Bell Torriente, Juan Pulido, Radhika Iyer, Shraman Sen, and Sanjay Natesan.
Performance Schedule and Tickets
The production will span three nights, featuring both professional and student showcases. The full-company professional program for When the Sun Rises will perform on Friday, June 26, at 8 p.m., Saturday, June 27, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, June 28, at 3 p.m.
Additionally, a companion program titled The Journey Begins, highlighting student and emerging dancers from both Navatman and Baila Society, will take place on Saturday, June 27, at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets for the performances are priced at $38, $50, and $75, and can be purchased through the official website at navatman.org. Organizers advise that When the Sun Rises contains intense material and is not recommended for children under five years of age.
This information was reported according to India Currents.