Jiya Learns to Dance
जिआ सीखता है कि कैसे नृत्य करें
Commissioned by the Staunton Music Festival
Completed in 2017
Duration: 7 minutes
Premiered at the 2017 Staunton Music Festival in Staunton Virginia
Recording: Lori Piitz, piano; Beth Chandler, Flute; Sarunas Jankauskas, clarinet; Wanchi Huang, violin; Carl Donakowski, cello; Casey Cangelosi, percussion; Eric Guinivan, conductor
Completed in 2017
Duration: 7 minutes
Premiered at the 2017 Staunton Music Festival in Staunton Virginia
Recording: Lori Piitz, piano; Beth Chandler, Flute; Sarunas Jankauskas, clarinet; Wanchi Huang, violin; Carl Donakowski, cello; Casey Cangelosi, percussion; Eric Guinivan, conductor
Program Note
Scored for a sextet of flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, and cello, Jiya Learns to Dance is heavily inspired by Indian puppetry and classical music, specifically Carnatic music and Kathputli string puppet theatre native to Rajasthan, India.
I imagine the piece as the musical playing-out of a scene from this puppet theatre: Jiya (GEE-ya), a puppet that has never danced before, observes a group of dancers performing a stately, elegant circle dance and wishes to join them. Jiya attempts to follow their motions from the outside of the circle, but she struggles to find the pulse, occasionally striking moments of beauty but often stumbling to find her footing. The dancers notice Jiya and her desire to dance with them, so they establish a new pulse and pull Jiya into the center of the circle, encouraging her to perform the dance with their support and encouragement. Jiya attempts the dance with exuberance and confidence, but she but lacks balance and polish. Wanting her to succeed, the dancers take Jiya by the hands and lead her through a final lively round of the dance. Jiya’s character is represented by the piano, while the rest of the ensemble represents the consort of dancers. Thus, the music features a “piano vs. ensemble” dynamic throughout most of the piece until the latter part where Jiya dances in harmony with the consort. While it won’t be apparent on a first or second listen, the music in conceptually organized around core principals from Carnatic music, most notably through the use of “reimagined” ragas (scales) and talas (rhythm cycles). Jiya Learns to Dance was written for the “Pranksters and Puppet Masters” concert of the 2017 Staunton Music Festival. |