(PDF) (DOC) (JPG)March 20, 2021

MAHWAH, N.J. — The Angelica and Russ Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts on the campus of Ramapo College of New Jersey is pleased to announce the latest Made in Jersey broadcast featuring classical Indian choreographer and dancer Kiran Rajagopalan with his performance of Act I of Vaiśravaṇa on Thursday, March 25 at 8 p.m. The stream will be available through YouTube and is free.

Made in Jersey features a series of New Jersey based performing artists sharing new works-in-progress.  After each broadcast, audiences can join Lisa Campbell, Berrie Center Director, and the artist for that evening in a live chat where they can ask questions of the artists.

Kiran Rajagopalan performs the first act of his work Vaiśravana which includes dance, spoken word, and live drumming.  Vaiśravaṇa, commonly known as Kubera, is the Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu deity of wealth in the form of natural resources, currency, and commerce. In some depictions, he is the pot-bellied, self-serving, dark-skinned ruler of the Yakshas – an indigenous tribe of magical healers and shamans coveted for their knowledge of Earth’s secrets but feared by “respectable” society. In others, he is the radiant, noble, golden-skinned guardian of the north and official treasurer to the gods. His shapeshifting in religious art and literature is reflective of South Asian society’s framing of good and evil around wealth, caste, and complexion. His endurance in collective consciousness symbolizes mankind’s relentless pursuit of wealth in an era dominated by consumerism and driven by instant gratification.

Made in Jersey is made possible through a generous grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. While events are free, viewers are encouraged to consider making a gift to the Contemporary Arts Fund or the COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund through the Ramapo Foundation at www.ramapo.edu/give

For more information and to access the broadcasts, go to:  www.ramapo.edu/berriecenter

###

About Ramapo College

Ramapo College of New Jersey is the state’s premier public liberal arts college and is committed to academic excellence through interdisciplinary and experiential learning, and international and intercultural understanding. The comprehensive college is situated among the beautiful Ramapo Mountains, is within commuting distance to New York City, was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful College Campuses in America by CondeNast Traveler, and boasts the best on-campus housing in New Jersey per Niche.com. Established in 1969, Ramapo College offers bachelor’s degrees in the arts, business, data science, humanities, social sciences and the sciences, as well as in professional studies, which include business, education, nursing and social work. In addition, the College offers courses leading to teacher certification at the elementary and secondary levels, and offers graduate programs leading to master’s degrees in Accounting, Applied Mathematics, Business Administration, Contemporary Instructional Design, Computer Science, Creative Music Technology, Data Science, Educational Leadership, Nursing, Social Work and Special Education, as well as a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

Press Release Archives

| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 |