Two dancers settle into their memories and reminisce about a time and place far away. Finding an anchor in the music and poetry of Indian Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, they dig into their personal histories and embark on a journey of togetherness. They bring their recollections into the present through their individual practices of Kathak and Bharatanatyam. As children too, they danced to the songs of Tagore. Seeped into nostalgia, they honour the Bengali culture that nurtured them, working through each world created with full enjoyment. They hope that this intimate celebration brings them closer to Tagore, to their language, families, and communities

The evening will begin with a live Rabindrasangeet concert by Shahid Khandker Tuku and Rony Palmer

Artists Involved

Tanveer Alam (co-choreographer and dancer)

Born and raised in Montreal, Tanveer Alam started his Kathak training with Sudeshna Maulik and continues to study with guru Sandhya Desai. Alam is a 2019 graduate of The School of Toronto Dance Theatre.

Alam has performed in the works of Lata Pada, Padmini Chettur, Brandy Leary, Sashar Zarif, Peter Chin, and Harikishan S. Nair. An emerging choreographer, he has been presented at Summerworks Festival, Battery Dance Festival +, MAI - Montréal, arts, interculturels, and Tangente to name a few. Alam has been supported by The Canada Council for the Arts, Toronto Arts Council, and Ontario Arts Council.

Across the 21/22 season, he will be presenting a new solo title “Haazri” as a part the National Ballet of Canada’s Sharing the Stage programming, as well as performing in the premiere of international choreographer Padmini Chettur’s work, Chalking (produced by Anandam Dancetheatre)

Atri Nundy (co-choreographer and dancer)

Atri Nundy started learning Bharatanatyam at Sampradaya Dance Academy under Lata Pada. After completing her arangetram (graduation) in 2005, she continues to work as a teacher at Sampradaya Dance Academy and as a Company dancer and choreographer at Sampradaya Dance Creations.

She has toured extensively in India, Indonesia and the UK. She has attended a variety of workshops including ones that have been conducted by highly acclaimed artists such as Harikrishna Kalyanasundaram, Priyadarshini Govind, Leela Samson and Mavin Khoo.

While training in Bharatanatyam, Atri was fortunate enough to be able to train in various dance forms during her childhood. Her training has given her the interest to explore beyond the traditional realms of Bharatanatyam. She is a frequent collaborator with NovaDance, Kashe Dance, and Anandam Dancetheatre. These opportunities have shaped the way Atri is now looking at dance, the way she is choreographing her own works and practicing repertoire.

Hasheel (Music director)

Hasheel is a queer South Asian Hindustani Classical Musician. He is trained in vocals as well as the Bansuri and is a student of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. Hasheel pushes gender fashion norms and his music extends across many genres. He has performed with Kailash Kher, Hariharan, Karthik, Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan, and Karsh Kale. His most recent work ‘RaagRani’ is a documentary style music video celebrating the union of his cultural identities.

Harikishan S. Nair (dramaturge)

Harikishan is a dancer, choreographer, pedagogue, dramaturg and rehearsal director. He is a passionate and critical advocate for equity within the dance sector for South Asian dance and a community leader in articulating issues of how these performance aesthetics interface with established institutions of dominant dance presenting/curation in Canada.

Born and raised in Kerala (India) he has been dancing since age 5 and is fluently trained in Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam and Kuchipudi. He tours new choreographic works and conducts teaching workshops and master classes across North America. He has gone on to collaborate, perform, and present his work at numerous dance festivals in India, UK, Canada, and the USA. He is the Artistic Director of Regatta Kala Kendra.

Shahid Khandker Tuku (Rabindrasangeet Artist)

Shahid Khandker Tuku has been passionate about music since his early childhood. He was a regular and popular singer in BTV Children and later teens sections.

Shahid’s formal music lesson was from Chayanat, the most renowned Music School at Dhaka where he completed a 5-year Diploma in Music specializing in Tagore Song. Dhrupod and Tappa style of Tagore Songs are Shahid’s favorite.

His work career took him to many countries including UK, Singapore and since 2001 he is a resident of Canada, Shahid is one of the most resected and loved male Singer in Toronto. In work life, he runs a high-end medical device distribution business with a branch office in Bangladesh.

Rony Palmer (Tabla artist)

Rony’s affection towards tabla started at the age of eight. Inspired by his parents, he became a student of Monu Ranjan Das a profound tabla player from Narayanganj, a student of Joy Joyonti Jalsha, and Late. Kallyan Bario. Rony’s first BTV appearance was in 1982. Finally, he had the biggest opportunity of being the student of Late John Rozario (Sr. teacher of Bangladesh Sangeet Academy) who was a long time student of Ustad Allah Rakkah Khan, the legend of Tabla gurus’. In 1984, Rony ranked 3rd on the National Division Tabla Competition, as an early achievement.

In 1996, Rony moved to the USA for higher studies and he performed Tabla at various occasions in different States. At present Rony resides at Toronto, Ontario where he is performing semi-professionally in different communities and is sharing his learning experience at Alam Piya School of Music as a Tabla teacher and through online site – www.Facebook.com/RhythminTablaDhol.

Samuel Boucher (lighting)

Samuel is a lighting & video designer from Paris, established in Montreal. A 2019 NTS Production Design & Technical arts graduate, Samuel explores the art of painting & sculpting the stage through time and space with pixel and light.