Brief Introduction Artistic direction Tarikavalli | Performers Tarikavalli, Catarina Mallika, Julieta Rousseau Dipaprakashe, By the Light of the Oil Lamp is a Bharata Natyam show inspired by the narratives of the Ramayana and the symbolism of Dipavali, the festival of lights celebrated between October and November by various communities in different parts of the world. From the symbolic image of the oil lamp, this creation evokes the passage between absence and presence, darkness and light, separation and reunion. The central piece of the show, Sitarama Varnam, portrays episodes from the Ramayana, traditionally attributed to the sage Valmiki and considered one of the two great Itihasa of India: epic narratives that transmit ethical, philosophical and spiritual teachings. Through the language of Bharata Natyam, the performers give shape to a universe of contemplation, surrender and transformation, where the sacred manifests itself through movement. In this choreographic creation, the universe of the Ramayana takes shape through Sita and Rama, whose relationship expresses the union between the human and the divine, symbolising courage, devotion and compassion. Although Valmiki's Ramayana does not establish a direct link between Rama's victorious return to the kingdom of Ayodhya and Dipavali, various later traditions associate this episode with the imagery of the Festival of Lights. Here, the flame of the oil lamp becomes a symbol of memory, hope and rebirth. Performed by the trio of dancers of the Companhia Tarikavalli, the show invites the audience to enter a space where light expands in the darkness. The dances evoke the spirit of Dipavali and the teachings of the Ramayana, proposing an experience in which tradition, memory and contemporary creation meet under the symbol of light. Support | Companhia Tarikavalli, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Instituto de Estudos Asiáticos, Embaixada da Índia, Município de Oeiras, Centro Dança Oeiras, Casa de Goa and JAYA.
Artistic Profile (Ficha Artística)