Baila Society and Navatman will present the world premiere of When the Sun Rises, an evening-length performance combining salsa, Latin hustle, and the traditional South Asian dance forms of bharatanatyam and kathak, according to a press release. The production is scheduled to run from June 26 through 28 at the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater.
The show marks the second production in the two organizations’ “Roots of Resilience” series. According to the directors, this performance represents the first time these four specific dance forms have been staged together as a single choreographic and musical work in New York. The accompanying original score was composed over nearly two years of collaboration during rehearsals and will be performed live by nine musicians representing both traditions.
The piece arrives amid intensifying national conversations surrounding immigration, cultural belonging, and the erasure of minority communities. When the Sun Rises is structured as a direct response to these themes, utilizing a series of movements that trace separation, loss, grief, and the collaborative process of building community across differences.
Honoring Traditions Through Collaboration
The production centers heavily on cultural preservation and deeper exploration of established artistic heritages. Sahasra Sambamoorthi, the artistic director and co-founder of Navatman, has been noted in the South Asian arts press as part of a generation reshaping how Indian classical forms are understood and presented in the United States.
Sambamoorthi explained that the collaboration was built deliberately around the concept of digging deeper into the traditions and structure, rather than trying to create something entirely new.
“We created an original musical composition of Indian and Afro-Cuban motifs. Creating this in this moment in time was more than a bit challenging, but we felt, with every fiber of our being, that it was urgently necessary. Who better to care for our art than those who live and breathe it? And, in doing so, we were able to discover more about our traditions than we could have imagined possible,” Sambamoorthi said.
Ahtoy Juliana, Founder of BAILA Society and co-director of the production, shared a similar sentiment regarding the motivation behind the project.
“We kept returning to the same question in the studio,” Juliana said. “What does it mean to make work that honors where it comes from, in a moment when so much is being taken from people who look like us, sound like us, and are considered outsiders here? We didn’t want to make the show just about the problem. We wanted to make a show that is the answer.”
Blending South Asian & Latin Rhythms
The performance moves through various distinct cultural styles, incorporating Afro-Cuban rumba and son, flamenco-inflected passages, and traditional South Asian elements, including kathak tabla and tatkaar sequences, alongside a bharatanatyam varnam and salsa rhythmic forms. The presentation concludes with an extended finale centered on what a community looks like when it is led by its women, children, and elders.
The live original score features musical direction by Sambamoorthi, with compositional consultation from five-time Grammy-nominated percussionist Manuel Marquez. The performing musical ensemble includes Lulada Club musicians Andrea Chavarro, Katherine Ocampo, and Daniela Serna, performing alongside Ayamey Bell Torriente, Juan Pulido, Radhika Iyer, Shraman Sen, and Sanjay Natesan.
Performance Schedule and Tickets
The production spans three nights, featuring both professional and student showcases. The full-company professional program for When the Sun Rises will perform on Friday, June 26, at 8 p.m., Saturday, June 27, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, June 28, at 3 p.m.
Additionally, a companion program titled The Journey Begins, which highlights student and emerging dancers from both Navatman and Baila Society, will take place on Saturday, June 27 at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets for the performances are priced at $38, $50, and $75, and can be purchased through the official website at navatman.org. Organizers note that When the Sun Rises contains intense material and is not recommended for children under five years of age.
This text was edited with the assistance of an AI tool and has been reviewed and edited for accuracy and clarity by India Currents.
