Just published in India Currents!
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| Photo Credit: Paul K. Benjamin |
“There's not much support for projects that
incorporate ‘traditional’ dance as well as other forms and mediums to tell a
story. I think a lot of artists are doing this kind of work, but it's not
widely recognized,” says Joti Singh, Artistic Director of Duniya Dance and Drum
Company. CounterPULSE, a Bay Area dance
festival, allows artists to work with tradition and storytelling. “[It] gives
traditional artists a space to innovate and push boundaries… what we need to
realize, and what I have realized through this program, is that my art is
something that can speak to people regardless of background,” says Nadhi
Thekkek, Co-Artistic Director of Nava Dance Theatre.
CounterPULSE
is a two weekend dance extravaganza exploring the idea of diaspora. From August 15th to 18th,
the first weekend, Joti Singh’s “Red, Saffron, and Green” relates the story of
her great-grandfather and the Gadar Party.
The second weekend runs from August 22nd to 25th
and features Nadhi Thekkek and Nava Dance Theatre performing “The Cloud
Messenger,” a Bharatanatyam adaptation of Kalidasa’s 5th century
poem “Meghadhuta.”
“I've had it in my mind for a while to do a
piece about my great grandfather… it's the centennial of the Gadar party, and
there is a lot of energy around celebrating the members of the party,” says
Singh. In 1909 Bhagwan Singh Gyanee was
forced to leave India due to his work for Indian independence, and he traveled
throughout Hong Kong, Canada, and the United States before serving as president
of the Gadar Party from 1914 to 1920. “I always
thought of my great grandfather as a hero, and I still do. I also have more
understanding now of how much his family had to sacrifice in order for him to
become this hero. When he left India, he
left a wife and kids behind, including my grandmother” explains Singh.
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| Photo Credit: Pancho |
Gyanee left writing that Singh has joined
with her choreography. “I've
incorporated a lot of text into the piece, a poem from Gadar di Goonj, the Gadar publication, another poem written by my
great-grandfather, and also text that I wrote myself,” says Singh. Singh has stretched traditional dance to tell
her grandfather’s story. “I am
recontextualizing some bhangra movements, so that rather than conveying
happiness and celebration, when they are coupled with the text and percussion,
they show strength, resolve, dedication, and power,” says Singh.
A recent
trip to Punjab has informed Singh’s work.
“The trip changed a lot in the show. I
learned a bit of gatka, the Sikh martial art, and am incorporating some of that
into the performance,” says Singh. But
one of her most important influences has been working with local dancers. “One of the biggest factors in developing this
piece has been working with two of the dancers, Priya Nykan and Alysha Higgins.
They have had a very hands-on role in developing the work with me” says
Singh. The opportunity to be an
artist-in-residence at CounterPULSE has given Singh the time and the community
to create her piece. “We've had a
couple of work-in-progress showings where all the artists present their pieces
in development and we all give feedback. It's been a wonderfully informative
and inspiring process,” concludes Singh.
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| Photo Credit: Frank Marino |
Thekkek has had a
similarly intense process developing "The Cloud Messenger." Kalidasa’s 5th century work is a
beautifully hypnotic poem that traverses the topography of India as it evokes
separation and longing. The poem revolves
around a yaksha, separated from his beloved, who entreats a rain cloud to
deliver his message of love. Working
from different translations and commentaries, Thekkek found that “certain
verses leapt out from the pages… when I came across these lines, I saw more
than the words on the page. I saw
myself, characters, dancers, all of us embodying Kalidasa’s imagery and
sentiment. What came next was an
irrevocable urge to use my medium, dance, to communicate my vision,” explains
Thekkek.
Thekkek’s mode of
communication, along with her company, is Bharatanatyam. Nava Dance Theatre was founded by Thekkek and
Sophia Valath, who grew up dancing together with Smt. Sundara Swaminathan,
Artistic Director of Kala Vandana Dance Company. They were joined by Arun Mathai, and all
three bring a wealth of experience with different styles of Bharatanatyam to
their initial training with Swaminathan.
“My inspiration for forming the company is my love for the art… it
allows me to express myself fully and honestly. Moreover, the practice and
performance of Bharatanatyam is a sort of meditation for me. Immersing myself
in the movement and emotion offers moments of clarity. It connects me to
people, and to God,” says Thekkek.
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| Photo Credit: Frank Marino |
The three worked closely with the renowned composer GS Rajan to develop
music that flowed seamlessly into the choreography. “My goal for the piece was
to be able to translate my emotional response to the narrative into
Bharatanatyam. This vision dictated the music composition, the choreography,
and lastly, determined what parts of the narrative were to be included in the
final presentation,” explains Thekkek.
The result of close collaboration with Rajan is a largely lyric-less
work. “We wanted the musical phrases and
choreography to tell the story. GS
Rajan's patience, motivation, and artistry has produced some really incredible
music that exactly expresses what we intended, often without lyrics,” says
Thekkek.
Thekkek agrees with Singh that CounterPULSE is an incredible opportunity
for her to conceptualize and create.
Thekkek concludes, “That my voice is a part of a greater artistic voice
or “performing diaspora” that can tell important stories that audiences want to
understand, and more importantly, that audiences will understand” is the gift
that CounterPULSE has given Thekkek and Singh.
It is their hard work, and the support of their ensembles, that will
bring their stories to light on stage this August.
CounterPULSE “Performing Diaspora”
August 15th to 18th, 8pm
each evening, Joti Singh
August 22nd to 25th, 8pm
each evening, Nadhi Thekkek
1310 Mission Street, San Francisco
Tickets begin at $22
www.duniyadance.com
