“Arisi”: Providing quality culture

“Food is a great prism through which to view human nature.” – Jonathan Gold, American food and music critic.

Cooking is not just a culinary pleasure, but also a cultural marker. Aside from taste and flavour, what’s on the plate relates to human emotions. And emotion defines art.

Arisi: Rice – Grains of Life, an interdisciplinary dance piece by Singapore-based Apsaras Arts, shows how food nourishes body, soul and civilization. A unified grain connects people and cultures across Asia. This unusual story depicts rice fields not just as farmland, but as spaces signifying daily life, traditions, and rituals.

Conceived and directed by Aravinth Kumarasamy and choreographed by Mohanapriyan Thavaraja and Professor I Wayan Dibya, the production sees dancers from Apsaras Arts sharing the stage with Balinese dancers from the GEOK ensemble and guest dancers from India.

“Across Asian cultures, this grain plays an important role from birth to death. This work tells two stories: the cultivation of rice, its journey from field to table, and the region’s rice culture. Most festivals and rituals, not only in India but also in other Asian countries, are incomplete without rice. What better way to showcase the artistic heritage of this region than with dance pieces that use this important grain? There is no better way,” says Aravinth Kumarasamy.

‘Arisi’ will have its international premiere in the city with the support of the Consulate General of the Republic of Singapore in Chennai. “Balinese dance and Bharatanatyam both have their roots in the Natyashastra, so there were no difficult choreographed movements to establish the connection between the dance forms. It made sense to collaborate with Balinese people. When you visit temples in Bali, the monks give you rice instead of vibhuti or kumkum. Interestingly, in the 10th century, Balinese people mastered the art of rice cultivation. Because of this, it is said that rice was exported from Bali.

The music for this production was created by more than 90 Indian and Balinese musicians, apart from orchestras in Singapore and China. Rajkumar Bharathi has composed the music, while Sai Shravanam has handled the arrangements and production. “Creating the music for a piece like this was both fascinating and mystical,” says Rajkumar. “While recording the music in Bali, we could hear the birds, feel the breeze from the rice fields, and see the reflections of the beautiful temples. It was equally amazing to see it come together,” Sai added.

‘Arish’ costumes celebrate the textile and craft traditions of India and Balinese. “The double-knot technique of ikat weaving used to create the costumes in this piece is practiced only in India and Bali,” says Aravins. According to Mohanapriyan, each costume has its own story. “For ‘Arisi’, we moved from silk, commonly used in Bharatanatyam, to textured cotton with exquisite embroidery. Our aim was to express the elements through the fabric. , we want to offer dishes with creative nuances that the audience will enjoy,” says Mohanapriyan.

Usha Maruti Subrahmanyam Donation Program

‘Arisi’ will be performed as part of Usha Maruti Subrahmanyam’s annual donation dance program. Usha spent her childhood in Chennai and trained in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. She moved to the United States after her marriage and pursued her passion for art history. At a time when Bharatanatyam was not easily accessible in the United States, Usha teamed up with ballet enthusiast Jacques d’Amboise to take students from the Dhananjayan family to New York’s Radio City Hall. She also founded the first gallery of contemporary Indian art in New York. She has coordinated and produced several events featuring prominent Indian dancers and musicians at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The annual giving program established in memory of Usha celebrates her futuristic artistic vision.