By SEETA PERSAD Friday, June 26 2009

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Dancer/choreographer Sandra Sookdeo...

Celebrated dancer and choreographer Sandra Sookdeo is all set to present the religious epic Mahadev on July 5 at 3 pm at Naparima Bowl in San Fernando.

Sookdeo, who is also an author and producer, has been working with more than one hundred dance and drama students for this dance ballet.

“Attempting this kind of production is very difficult. It takes months to get all the scenes together. Then there is issue of props coordination and costume construction,” Sookdeo said speaking from her studio built at her home on Monroe Road, Cunupia.

She noted the story will explore several scenes that surround Lord Shiva as related in the Hindu text of the Shiv Puran. As director of the Kala Mandir in Cunupia, Sookdeo has given much thought to placing the deserving students in positions that related to characters in this production.

As a special part of this year’s concert, the dancers will be doing classical dances done in Odissi, Mohini Attam, Kathak with improvisation of modern day drama to tell this story.

Sookdeo and the students of the Kala Mandir have been producing religious dance ballets for the past 17 years.

Sookdeo began studying dance in 1976 as a student of the Kala Kendra dance school, which was at the time headed by India’s Pratap Pawar and Pradeep Shankar.

After attaining her diploma in dance in Trinidad she was awarded a dance scholarship by the government of India. She graduated with full passes in India in 1991.

Her studies included various styles of Indian classical dances in New Delhi at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra.

She majored in Odissi under the guidance of Guru Mayadhar Raut while in India.

Having accomplished these high passes, she returned to her homeland to set up her own workshop in tutoring students in these disciplines.

She has been given numerous awards for the work she has done spanning a period of twenty years. She has been called to judge the Baal Vikas competition where thousands of students from 34 Maha Sabha schools compete in dance and other artforms.

According to Sookdeo, the first half of the recital will consist of dance items done in the classical discipline of Odissi.

Musicians who have been working long hours with Sookdeo include: Vijai Kissoon, Kimchan Bhairosingh, Kreeshma Roopnarine, Keshari Pragg, Garimaa Sahatoo, and Savita Haidar. The second half of the concert will present portrayals of various dramatic scenes reenacting stories taken from the Hindu texts, as the dancers tell of the powerful encounter of Lord Shiva with characters in the Shiv Puran.

The scenes depict the meeting of Lord Shiva’s consort Parvati with scenes entitled, “Parvati’s Penance”, “The Destruction of Kamdev” and “The Wedding of Mahadev and Parvati”.

These scenes will be dramatised with the use of special effects and music.

Mahadev will be hosted by radio announcer Kailash Bedi whose voice is heard on Heritage Radio 107.2 every morning.

Bedi is a former dance partner of Sookdeo. Pichkaree champion, Pundit Beesram Sewdat will also assist in the hosting of the three hour long play.