A preview of collisions and harmony in dance forms

CHENNAI: A clean slate, a central idea, master artists and an evening of myriad expressions - this makes up Collisions, a work-in-progress piece by Indian contemporary dancer Astad Deboo, Bharatanatyam exponent Hema Rajagopalan and US-based Western contemporary performer Shirley Mordine.

Rarely do we get to witness an artist's creative process, and to show what goes into a work and how ideas seem at the initial stage. The three senior artists will be giving a preview performance in the city on Thursday at SPACES in Besant Nagar. It's the seed that will develop into a full-fledged dance production in mid-2018.

"It's like a coming together of three creative people who have been trained in different idioms and exploring possibilities, much like a mixed salad," jokes Deboo, who draws from his training in Kathak and Kathakali to create a form unique to him.

But Collisions does not signify the vastly different schools the dancers belong to, it is a reflection of the tensions and clash of ideas witnessed in the world today and how art can encourage coexistence in this environment. "Today we are easily irritated because of people moving from one country to another and in the process bringing their ideas. Growth and diversity have also resulted in a lot of tension," says Mordine, founder of Dance Center of Columbia College, Chicago.

An exploration of sensibilities and forms that was the brainchild of Mordine and Rajagopalan, it emerged purely as a dance idea when the two were discussing about how each of their forms explored space and was hinged on balance.

"The project is layered - inter-generational, inter-cultural and across geographies," says Rajagopalan who is among the few dancers who likes to present a public preview to create awareness and involve the audience in her productions.

What will emerge as the final production is anybody's guess. "We haven't decided on the music, or direction or shape the whole project will take. What we know is that we are coming together with an open mind to create an artistic expression through each of our forms," says Rajagopalan, explaining that what she can emote through abhinaya, Mordine will show through gestures and Deboo will convey through movements.

The preview in the city is a sketch to show how the different vocabularies meet, and how the envelope of each form, especially Bharatanatyam is pushed to bring out an aesthetic idea.

After Thursday, the artists will meet in the city and then in Delhi and Chicago, after a few months to formulate the final cross-cultural presentation.
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