Dallas Creatives : Unbridled/Unlimited/ Unleashed Shakti Collective Presents
September 5 – 7, 2025
ROOM FOR THE ENTIRE CAST
The Dallas–Fort Worth Lexus Dealers are proud to be the O cial Vehicle Sponsor of the AT&T Performing Arts Center and its resident companies. Through this dynamic partnership, Lexus is committed to supporting the Center and its Dallas Arts District neighbors in establishing Dallas as one of the world’s premier destinations to experience the performing and visual arts.
SHAKTI COLLECTIVE PRESENTS
SHADES OF WOMEN IN LOVE
Love is the pulse of life — but for women, it is never simple. It carries the thrill of anticipation, the sweetness of joy, the ache of waiting, and at times, the sting of betrayal. It can ignite anger, demand resilience, and still leave room for tenderness.
This production is born from both ancient wisdom and contemporary experience. The Natya Shastra, one of India’s oldest treatises on the arts, speaks of the Ashta Nayikas —eight archetypes of women in love, each revealing a different shade of emotion. Though described centuries ago, these states still echo in our everyday lives — in friendships, in heartbreaks, in the quiet strength of moving forward.
In Shades of Women in Love, we reimagine these timeless states through today’s lens, blending classical Bharatanatyam with the rhythms of spoken poetry and the voices of modern women. This is not only a story of love, but also of agency , courage , and renewal
Here, you will encounter the woman who waits with hope, the one who rages against betrayal, the one who chooses to walk away, and the one who embraces love despite its risks.
Our work is a dialogue between past and present — between tradition and modernity,vulnerability and strength. It is a celebration of women’s emotional truths: eternal, evolving,and endlessly powerful.
Pillayar Stuthi
The program begins with a prayer to Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and the harbinger of auspiciousness. This invocation sets the tone for the program, seeking his blessings to guide both dancers and audience through a seamless experience. With graceful gestures and rhythmic cadence, the stage is transformed into a sacred space, inviting harmony, joy, and auspicious beginnings.
Dance Composition: Shri. Vaibhav Arekar
Ashtanayikas: The Many Shades of Love
The heart of the production, this segment explores the eight archetypes of heroines in love—the Ashtanayikas. Traditionally celebrated in Indian poetry and dance, each nayika embodies a unique facet of longing, joy, frustration, or devotion.
Here, we juxtapose the traditional lens with a contemporary voice— asking how these timeless emotions echo in the lives of women today. Between each vignette, vibrant swara patterns bring rhythmic dialogue to life, binding the classical and the modern.
• Swadheenapathika – The one who has her lover in her grasp. She is self-assured and knows how to nurture and sustain her love.
• Vasakasajjika – The one who awaits her lover. She adorns herself and her surroundings while eagerly anticipating his arrival.
• Virohātkanditā – The one who grows impatient and restless because of a long separation from her beloved.
• Prositabhāratrkā – The one who grieves deeply during her husband’s prolonged absence.Though certain he will not return, she finds the separation unbearable.
• Vipralabdhā – The one deceived by her lover. Though promises are broken again and again, she chooses silence as realization dawns.
• Khanditā – The one who discovers her beloved’s involvement with another woman. Her words are sharp with anger, sarcasm, and indirect reproach.
• Kalahāntaritā – The one who quarrels with her beloved in a moment of hurt and later regrets her reaction.
• Abhisārikā – The one who, unlike the others, refuses to wait. Fearless and unashamed, she sets out boldly to meet her lover.
Music: Shri. Madurai R Muralidharan
Contemporary Voices – Women in Verse
In this segment, words become dance. A curated selection of poems by modern female poets finds new expression through jathis and nadais. The spoken word intertwines with rhythmic recitation, reminding us that women’s voices—ancient or modern—carry power, vulnerability, and truth in equal measure.
Colleen Hover- “Ripped off my sweater”
Here the poet describes the journey of girl from love to heartbreak.
Emily Dickinson –Wild nights
Poornima Subramanya “ Devi - Māye “
This poem explores the complex dance between divinity and illusion, urging a harmony beyond worship or servitude, where equality and balance prevail.
Kamala Das – The Freaks
Kamala Das depicts the loneliness of a marriage where closeness lacks love or desire. The poem conveys the silence and emptiness of such a bond, exposing the gap between outward appearances and inner reality.
Maya Angelou – Phenomenal Woman
Elements of Love
From time immemorial, women and goddesses in Hindu mythology have been intertwined with the elements of nature — earth, water, fire, air, and space. In each story, love is not separate from these forces, but revealed through them: patient as the soil, flowing as the river, fierce as the flame, unbound as the wind, and vast as the cosmos.
In Elements of Love , these timeless connections are brought to life through dance. Each piece becomes a living portrait of the feminine spirit in love — at once human and divine, fragile and powerful, deeply personal yet universal. Together, they remind us that the language of love is as eternal as the elements themselves,
Anila (Wind)
The song describes the heroine’s deep yearning and the role of Anila (the wind) in carrying her messages of love and longing. Through vivid imagery and emotional depth, the song captures the essence of separation and the hope that the wind will unite the lovers.
Ardhanareeshwara – Parvati (Fire)
“Ardhanareeswaram” reveres the sacred union of Shiva and Shakti, where fire symbolizes the creative and transformative harmony between divine masculine and feminine energies. Their cosmic dance balances destruction and renewal, intertwining fierce Tandava with graceful Lasyam. This eternal interplay inspires all creation to seek wholeness through the balance of opposites. The fire referenced in the lyrics evokes both destruction and creation, symbolizing transformative power and spiritual renewal.
Ila (Cosmos)
This is the love story of Ila, a gender-fluid princess who was also Sudyumna, a man. One day, Sudyumna, son of Manu ventured into the forest to hunt deer. But destiny had other plans. In desperation, a frightened doe fled into Kumāravana—the sacred grove where Shiva and Parvati sought their private retreat. This forest, forbidden to men by Devi’s decree, transformed Sudyumna and his companions into women the moment they entered its bounds. Thus, Sudyumna became Ila. Ila’s beauty captivated Budha, who, being neither wholly male nor female, saw in Ila a kindred spirit. From their
union was born the legendary Puru dynasty, the moon dynasty—whose descendants include Krishna, the Pandavas, and the Kauravas.
Karpooram Narumo – Andal (Earth)
In this verse from Āndāl’s Nācciyār Tirumozhi, love and longing take the shape of a conversation with a conch. Āndāl gently questions Panchajanyam, asking if it carries the fragrance of camphor from Lord Ranganatha’s lips. Through this tender exchange, devotion becomes inseparable from desire, giving voice to the timeless ache of love.
Krishna nee begane baro – Yamuna (Water)
This timeless Kannada composition, traditionally sung as a devotee’s plea for Lord Krishna to appear, is here reimagined through the voice of the sacred river Yamuna. Flowing eternal beside Vrindavan, Yamuna is more than a witness to Krishna’s leelas — she is a silent lover, a companion who cradles his every step and reflects his radiant form.In this dance interpretation, Yamuna becomes the yearning nayika, longing for the Lord’s playful presence upon her waters. Each lyric transforms into her intimate call: the ripples become sighs, the currents her restless heartbeat, and the shimmering moonlight her devotion. Through graceful movement and emotive abhinaya, the piece invites the audience to experience the familiar bhakti-filled song from a new lens — as the river goddess’s tender plea for reunion with her beloved Krishna.
Tillana
The program draws to a close with a Thillana in the joyful ragam Kathanakuthuhalam. Bursting with rhythmic brilliance and lyrical charm, the piece is at once playful and celebratory. Its Sahithyam (lyrics/words of a song) carries a short verse that gently sketches the identities of women in their many shades, reminding us that love, strength, and grace flow through them all. As tradition holds, the Thillana leaves behind an aftertaste of joy, gratitude, and fulfillment.
Dance Choreography : Rachana Rao, Seema Rao, Jyothi Heddese, Preethi Sathyanarayanan, Shweta Srinivasan.
DANCER’S BIOS
Rachana Rao, is Karana, Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer, performer, choreographer and educator and a disciple of Guru Dr. Padma Subramanya, Guru Shri Ullal Mohan Kumar and Guru Smt. Hema Dinesh Rao holds a Vidwat degree from Karnataka. She is a recipient of ICCR Dance Scholarship from Govt of India and several awards notably Yuva Prathibha Ratyotsava, Natya Mayuri and Yuva Prathibha awards from Govt of Karnataka and a graded artist in both Bangalore and Hyderbad doordarshan. Rachana has graced more than 500 stages across India and USA and she founded Charishnu performing arts in Plano to share art with future generations.
Jyothi Heddese, dancer, performer, choreographer and educator, is a disciple of Guru Dr. M. R. Krishnamurthy of Kalakshetra, Chennai, and holds a B.S. from Bangalore University, an M.S. from San Jose State University, California, a Vidwat from the Karnataka Education Board, and a Master’s in Fine Arts from Kalai Kaviri, Trichy. She has performed at various venues in the U.S. and India, and is also trained in Carnatic music and Veena. After her corporate career at Cisco and Microland, she founded Dhaatri School of Dance in Frisco, where she shares her love for Bharatanatyam with future generations.
Smt. Preethi Sathyanarayanan, a disciple of Shri Namakkal Rajaram and Guru Roja Kannan, is an accomplished Bharatanatyam artist and scholar. She has performed at prestigious venues in India and the USA, earning widespread recognition. Holding postgraduate degrees in Biotechnology and Dance, she blends academic excellence with artistic mastery. Preethi is the founder of Srilaya Dance Academy in Texas, a UNESCO-affiliated institution, where she trains future generations. She and her students have received numerous awards, including multiple Guinness World Records and national and international honors.
Smt. Seema Rao is a Bharatanatyam dancer, teacher and choreographer based out of Dallas, Texas. She is the seniormost disciple of Smt. Gayatri Subramanian from Mumbai, India. Seema’s training is deep rooted in tradition, constantly adapting to the changing audience and student landscape. Alongside training, teaching and performing, she has led the execution of several classical dance festivals across the globe and a global e-learning initiative related to dance as well. She runs a dance school in Frisco named after her teachers. She is committed to sharing her knowledge with adults and kids, while kindling their spontaneity and creativity. She has several performances and awards to her credit.
Shweta Srinivasan is a Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, and performing artist based in Dallas, Texas, and a student of Smt. Gayatri Ramaratnam. Her dance journey began in Chennai, India, where she laid the foundation for her artistry, and she continues her training under Dr. Lavanya Rajagopalan at Silambam Houston. Alongside her artistic pursuits, Shweta works as a data scientist. She has performed on stages across India and the US and has been recognized with several awards for her talent. Her work seeks to bridge tradition and contemporary expression, bringing classical dance to diverse audiences.
PRESENTED BY
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