Luminato presents Sampradaya Dance Creations in TAJ June 10, 2011

Sampradaya Dance Creations performs the World Premiere of
TAJ
The awe-inspiring story behind one of the greatest wonders of the world
Concept by Lata Pada, Written by John Murrell, Directed by Tom Diamond
Starring Kabir Bedi and Lisa Ray and an international ensemble of 10 dancers
Commissioned by Luminato, Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity
June 10-12 at Harbourfront Centre’s Fleck Dance Theatre

Sampradaya Dance Creations proudly performs the world premiere of TAJ as part of, and commissioned by, Luminato, Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity. This dramatic dance-theatre production stars Bollywood’s Kabir Bedi and Canada’s Lisa Ray. An epic story of love and grief — and the grandeur it inspired – TAJ chronicles the great human drama behind the magnificent architectural wonder, the Taj Mahal. TAJ, written by Governor General's Award-winning playwright John Murrell, and directed by Dora-winning opera director Tom Diamond, runs June 10-12 at Harbourfront Centre’s Fleck Dance Theatre.

Interwoven with beautiful kathak dance, choreographed by 81-year-old kathak legend Kumudini Lakhia of India and performed by an international ensemble of ten dancers, TAJ was developed by Sampradaya Artistic Director Lata Pada, the first South Asian artist to receive the Order of Canada in 2009.

Imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb, the former emperor Shah Jahan (Kabir Bedi) gazes upon the Taj - his wife Mumtaz’s final resting place and whose memory inspired the construction of this spectacular edifice. He engages in an impassioned dialogue with his devoted daughter Jahanara (Lisa Ray) taking the audience on an emotional journey that explores the emperor’s life, the 17th Century Mughal Empire and the universal themes of ambition, revenge, rivalry and love.

Throughout his 40-year career, international Bollywood film, television and theatre star Kabir Bedi has made over 90 film and television appearances, including countless Bollywood films (most recently Kites) and a season with the popular American TV series “The Bold and the Beautiful.” He is noted for his role as Emperor Shah Jahan in Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story. He is best known in Europe for playing the pirate Sandokan in the mini TV series and for his role as the villainous Gobinda in the 1983 James Bond film, Octopussy.

Born in Toronto, acclaimed Canadian actress Lisa Ray has become a cross-cultural phenomenon, first rising to prominence as a model in India and going on to star in Bollywood and Canadian films, including Cooking with Stella and Deepa Mehta’s Oscar-nominated Water (for which Ray won a Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award) and Bollywood/Hollywood as well as the western All Hat. She was also named one of Canada’s ’50 Most Beautiful People’ by Hello! Magazine.
Sampradaya Dance Creations performs the World Premiere of
TAJ
The awe-inspiring human story behind one of the greatest wonders of the world.
Concept by Lata Pada, Written by John Murrell, Directed by Tom Diamond
Starring Kabir Bedi and Lisa Ray and an international ensemble of 10 dancers
Projection design by Jacques Collin, Musical composition by Praveen Rao
Lighting and set design by Phillip Silver, Costume design by Rashmi Varma
Commissioned by Luminato, Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity
at Harbourfront Centre's Fleck Dance Theatre, 207 Queen’s Quay West
Friday, June 10 – Sunday, June 12, 2011
Friday at 8PM, Saturday at 2PM & 8PM, Sunday at 2PM. Tickets: $51.50 - $71.50
Box Office: 416-368-4849 or online at luminato.com. Info: sampradaya.ca

Official Website: http://www.sampradaya.ca