Ref: PR1891
Date: 20/08/08

A celebration of colourful costume and flamboyant dancing will be taking centre stage at Wakefield's Drury Lane library this autumn.

Fresh from wowing crowds at Wakefield's successful summer Mela, dance artists from Indian arts group Manasamitra will be visiting the library to offer a short performance and family workshop.

They will showcase the intricate costume and rich tradition of Indian Hindu temple dance, which combines music, hand gestures and dance steps to tell stories from the soul of the Hindu tradition

Cllr Denise Jeffery, Wakefield Council's cabinet member for culture, said: "Manasamitra are absolutely superb at delivering this wonderful art and make it so accessible for so many people.

"This class promises to be something special and it is a great way to celebrate the National Year of Reading, something we are really supporting through events and other activities this year to promote the joy of reading across Wakefield district."

The event will be held on Saturday September 27, from 2pm to 3pm, where people can explore the cultural identity and non-verbal forms based around the National Year of Reading's September theme 'You are what you read'.

It also coincides with the start of the festival of Navratri or 'nine-nights', a time of dancing, prayer and fasting for Hindus. This free performance and workshop invites local families to experience the exoticism of this dance form of storytelling and learn more about Indian culture.

Children and their parents will be able to join in with the workshop and learn some of the dance poses and gestures and put them into practice for a mini performance of their own.

The workshop will be followed by light refreshments with an Indian theme and the opportunity to ask questions about the culture of the Indian subcontinent.

Although this event is free to both existing library members and non-members, entry will be limited by free ticket only and families are urged to book early to avoid disappointment at what is doubtless to be a popular event.

To find out more detail about this event, please contact Claire Pickering on 01924 304062, or to book tickets for this event please telephone Drury Lane Library on 01924 305376.