Production Details

"The Earth Speaks 2.0" is an evening-length oddyssey, a multi disciplinary work with dance-music-spoken word raising awareness on climate change. It has been enjoyed and appreciated by audiences across US & Canada and was nominated for the prestigious Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Company Performance. The work reflects our interconnectedness with nature and our impact on climate. It is a story of a woman, who is a metaphor for earth. What she says to all that is happening around her, her whelm and us. A show for all ages and all communities. We have used the rhythm of Bharatanatyam, the raagas of carnatic music interwoven with english spoken word to communicate a very Contemporary Theme on Climate Change; we tell the story of a Woman and her journey Past, Present and even Future. The script draws inspiration from mythology, from stories of the indegineous tribes and even science.

Samudra Dance Creations was founded by award winning Bharatanatyam choreographer/dancer Jyotsna Vaidee. Samudra is a Sanskrit term literally meaning the "gathering together of waters.” As the name implies we enable collaborations among freelance/professional artists in the San Francisco Bay Area and create awareness around cultural/social issues. Samudra Dance Creations seeks to represent and empower the Indian community operating in a Diaspora environment and also seeks to engage mainstream. Samudra has presented at several prestigious festivals including Erasing Borders Festival New York, San Francisco Arts Festival (SFIAF), the PushDance Fest and the Ragamala Music Society of Canada. Jyotsna Vaidee, the Artistic Director, advocates that the authentic technique of Bharatanatyam is a rich language that can be used to communicate and discover themes that are both traditional and contemporary. To that end Jyotsna has created a number of full length original choreographic productions including “The Earth Speaks”, “The Caged Bird Sings” (2018), “The Quest Unsaid” (2013/2015) and Kaavyam: Poetry in Motion (2011). Her most recent production “The Earth Speaks” was nominated in 2019 for an Isadora Duncan Award. Samudra’s Dance Film “STORM” (2021) received official selection in multiple Dance Film Festivals

Artist Biographies

Jyotsna Vaidee (Artist Director and Choreographer)
Jyotsna Vaidee is an award winning Bharatanatyam choreographer and dancer and the founder of Samudra Dance Creations. A Canadian-American-Indian, Jyotsna’s work is influenced by her upbringing in multiple countries. Samudra Dance Creations seeks to represent and empower the Indian community operating in a Diaspora environment and also seeks to engage mainstream. Jyotsna is a well-established Bharatanatyam soloist who has immersed herself in the art for over 25 years. Her performances have received critical acclaim in India and North America. She is a regular performer at India’s (Chennai) December dance and music season and has performed full length solo concerts known as “Margam” at reputed festivals.

Snigdha Venkatramani (Music Composer)

Alyssa Ninan Nickel (Spoken Word Poetry)

Aishwarya Raman, Anisha Ramakrishnan, Nikitha Sreekant, Sriya Srirangarajan (Company Dancers)
Danielle Ferguson (Lighting Design)