THE BANYAN PROJECT
Lingalayam Dance Company was founded and continues to exist, by drawing on the sacred knowledge of many revered gurus. As stories and artistic interpretations are passed from one generation to the next, through dance and music, this knowledge is extended and in turn gives rise to artists who through their own creation and performance build an enduring legacy and embody an artistic lifecycle. This is the process whereby Lingalayam came into existence, through the efforts of Anandavalli and her own gurus.
As the company continues to strengthen and envision its artistic future, in terms of creative development, performing and touring, Lingalayam appropriately strives to consolidate and articulate its planning and organisational structure.
The spirit and nature of the banyan tree presents a perfect symbolic model, in order to understand the philosophical and organisational nature of the Lingalayam Dance Company.
The banyan tree, (Ficus bengalensis, of the family Morocae) large Indian tree - the banyan is remarkable for the numerous aerial roots that, growing down from the branches, take root in the soil and form prop roots or secondary trunks. In this manner the tree spreads over a large area. As the tree ages, the original trunk decays and returns to the earth, contributing to the fertility of the soil. The tree breaks up into several sections, the props becoming separate trunks for the various sections, which form new trees.
Anandavalli, as the driving force and artistic director of Lingalayam, has focused in the pursuance of her own artistic development in performance, choreography, design and music, to fuel the potential of the company, the development of the dancers and musicians and the work they bring to the stage.
The Banyan Tree