Sweet Briar College’s 2008-09 Babcock Season opens Monday, Sept. 15 with classical Indian dancer Padmarani Rasiah Cantu. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Murchison Lane Auditorium at Babcock Fine Arts Center. A complimentary reception will follow.

Padmarani Rasiah Cantu. Photo by Ruben M. Cantu.Cantu, who hails from Sri Lanka, is a versatile dancer with an international reputation. She has been a selected artist with the Virginia Commission for the Arts Tour Directory for 18 years and is the artistic director of the Fine Arts Society of Yogaville, Va., where she teaches Bharatha Natyam.

Bharatha Natyam is an ancient dance form of India. It is acknowledged as one of the oldest art forms in the world and has been in existence for more than 4,000 years. Born within the precincts of the temple, Bharatha Natyam uses the rich repertoire of Indian mythology as a fine medium of expression.

This past spring, Cantu performed at Emory & Henry College. “Her performance [was] breathtakingly beautiful and her expressiveness, amazing,” E&H arts coordinator Anita Coulthard said.

Seating is reserved. Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for students and free for children younger than 12 and members of the Sweet Briar community. To reserve tickets, contact the box office at 381-6120 or boxoffice@sbc.edu, starting Monday, Sept. 1.