Ashley the Storyteller and Bharatanatyam dancing at Sadlers Well East

But first….

There are now only 2 TICKETS LEFT for next Sunday night’s harp, flute and viola concert.
Go here for details and to grab those two tickets!

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Ashley the Story Teller

Last weekend I went to a story telling party with Ashley the Story Teller – how cool is that! Although for this party Ashley was less telling a story than ruminating on – and introducing us to – Rumi the 13th century Persian poet, Islamic scholar, and Sufi mystic who is, amazingly, one of the most widely read poets in the United States today.

How was it? Well, it was riveting. Softly accompanied by guitarist James, Ashley  told us, often in Rumi’s own words, about his life, his belief, his sayings, his poetry. His audience was mesmerised – ‘a mind-altering experience – the poetry and the story-telling lifted one onto a higher level – made one focus on what is important in life’.

To give you a taste…

For those who are curious, Ashley does not just tell stories about Rumi. His programmes include:

• The Hilarious Adventures of the Hodja Nasruddin, the great holy man, fool, and trickster figure much loved by Sufis and across the Middle East.
• The Story of the Titanic – and even closer to home –
• Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol

He and his stories have travelled the world performing anywhere that people wish to listen – from a pub or a prison to Sydney Opera House. And in 1994 he founded a School of Story Telling at Emerson College in Sussex. There you can sign up for anything from a weekend introduction to story telling to a full time 12 week course which ‘aims to prepare you to carry the spoken word and a lively imagination into your communities and places of work’.

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From Persia to India

And Sunday saw me heading off to Stratford to the new Sadlers Wells East overlooking Anish Kapoor’s ArcelorMittal Orbit and West Ham’s new stadium.

To be honest, I was slightly disappointed with the exterior of the theatre – perfectly unexceptionable but not as exciting as I had hoped. But the interior was appealing – dark wood (as far as one could see), comfortable steeply-raked seats and a wide spacious stage, obviously designed for maximum flexibility to accommodate every sort of dance.

It very size added to the drama of what I had gone to see, Indian American Bharatanatyam dancer Mythili Prakash’s She’s Auspicious.

‘As a child, says Mythili in her choreographer’s notes, ‘I always had questions about the “creation of Goddess” myth. According to legend, the demon Mahisha had been granted a boon by which he could not be destroyed by “man.” Hence, the Panel of Male Gods combined their physical attributes, weapons, and energies to create a Goddess who could destroy him. I always wondered – Why weren’t any Goddesses on that Panel? And importantly, why didn’t the Gods call upon one of the several existing Goddesses rather than conjuring one through their energies?

She’s Auspicious is a reflection on my identity as a woman, a mother, and a Bharatanatyam dancer…. This work is not a singular narrative, but rather a collection of impressions, images, and emotions, open to experiencing in whatever way you do.

What did it mean to an audience member who had totally failed to do her homework so had absolutely no idea what was going on? Actually – a enthralling hour of dramatic and intriguing dance focused largely on the spotlit figure of Mythili accompanied by pulsing drum beats, reminiscient of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.

Here is a very tiny snatch just to give a hint of of the whole.

To find out more, to hear Mythili talk (really fascinatingly) about She’s Auspicious and to see more of her dancing, check in to her website.

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Meanwhile, back in Highgate…..

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Sunday 23rd March – 12 noon – Highgate Society Lunchtime Concert

£15 to include a glass of Bucks Fizz – book here.

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Tuesday 15th April – 6.30pm – Hampstead Lane