Shaamya – Of Equality: January 5, 2020
J.D. Steele. Photo by John Wagner.
Of equality I sing:
Where all barriers and differences
Among people are vanished,
Where Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians
Have mingled together.
– An excerpt from Kazi Nazrul Islam’s “Of Equality”
Of Equality infuses gospel and R&B music composed and performed by local musician and composer J.D. Steele (pictured at left) and poetry by Somali poet and playwright Ifrah Mansour (pictured at right) into original Kathak choreography inspired by Nazrul Islam’s poetry. Steele, an accomplished musician who has performed with Prince, Mavis Staples, and others, will be accompanied by pianist Billy Steele, drum artist Abhinav Sharma, vocalist Tonia Hughes. Mansour’s poem “I am a Refugee,” which she will perform during Of Equality, was featured in PBS’s Online Film Festival in 2018. She is also known for her autobiographical play How to Have Fun in a Civil War, which depicts her recollections of her childhood in war-torn Somalia. With this new work, our intent is to engage people of all cultures in valuable discussions about parallels between the experiences of today’s communities of color and those expressed by Nazrul Islam in his time.
Ifrah Mansour. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Local Tours: February and May, 2020
Photo by Erik Saulitis.
KDT will travel to Mankato and St. Cloud next year to perform Ritu – The Seasons and engage in community outreach activities. Ritu, which originally debuted in 2018, is a vivid portrayal of the Indian seasonal cycle, expanding and subverting American expectations. Based on the lyrical poem “Ritusamhara” by the great Sanskrit poet Kalidasa, Ritu depicts the six Indian seasons within beautiful and intricate Kathak movement, celebrating nature’s beauty through Kathak’s grace and subtlety. As always, our touring performances are open to the public. Please mark the following dates in your calendar, noting that ticket prices and showtimes are yet to be announced.
- February 12: Minnesota State University – Mankato’s Ostrander Auditorium
- May 22: This performance has been canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope to reschedule soon.
