Byzantium is the centrepiece of a South Indian dance triptych, New Cities/Ancient Lands, which was created for and by the Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company for their 1991 tour across the United Kingdom and Europe. Jeyasingh is a well-known choreographer, respected in several continents for her pioneering work in combining Baratha Natyam, the classical Indian dance, with contemporary music by western composers.
Born in Greece, educated in the United States and a Canadian citizen since 1985, composer Christos Hatzis (b.1953) is becoming widely known as a leading figure in contemporary classical music. His works are performed and broadcast throughout the world, and their frequent combination of a powerful spiritual foundation with an immediately accessible appeal has made a deep emotional impact upon audiences and performers alike.
