TAALAM (RHYTHM)
A love letter from Bharatanatyam to tap dance, in the language of rhtythm
A Polyrhythm of RHythms and Cultures
Taalam (Rhythm) is a love letter from Bharatanatyam, a percussive form of Indian classical dance, to tap dance, in the language of rhythm. Taalam (Rhythm) travels from 18th century India to 20th century New York, from Dhanshree Thilanna to Take 5, and creates a polyrhythm between the high-pitched bells on the feet of the Bharatanatyam dancers and the base-filled tones on the shoes of the tap dancer. Taalam (Rhythm) delights audiences with how seamlessly African-American and South-Indian culture unite, no-matter the place and time. In doing so, it creates a euphoric celebration of diversity, champions the universal power of rhythm, and provides a visual metaphor for the power of the melting pot when are willing to look past our differences.
Supported ACROSS THe WORLDs of Cultural and Concert Dance
Taalam (Rhythm) has been supported by residencies at the American Tap Dance Foundation and Premiere Dance Center. The first 20 min excerpt of Taalam (Rhythm) was commissioned by MELA Arts Collective for the 2019 Lincoln Center: Out of Doors Series, and premiered in August 2019 to a sold out 5,000 person audience at Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center. Act 1 of Taalam (Rhythm) was commissioned by the Indian-American Arts Council as part of Erasing Borders Dance Festival and was presented in October 2023 to a sold out audience at the Citigroup Theatre at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Act 2 of Taalam (Rhythm) was commissioned by the Indian American Community Services of Western Washington and will premiere in May 2024 at Meydenbauer Center in Seattle as part of the inaugural Log Kya Sochenge festival.
“That was amazing. Bharatanatyam dovetails so beautifully into tap dance”
“Project Convergence is breaking new ground….true audacity….with astonishing speed”
TECHnical Summary
A full technical rider will soon be publicly available on this page! Until then, we have provided a summary below, and the full technical rider will be provided once we receive your booking inquiry.
6 stage mics
2 Dancer-facing stage monitors (in addition to the speakers facing the audience)
Smooth wood floor (very strongly preferred) or sprung marley (acceptable with sufficient stage mics)