CHENNAI: The March Dance Festival, a contemporary dance festival hosting performances, workshops, dance films and open conversations to investigate contemporary thought and action, is set to happen from March 17-26, at Goethe-Institut, Max Mueller Bhavan here.
The event is jointly organised with Basement 21, a group of artists who seek to focus not only on the artistic product but also the process to reconstruct the corporeal thought behind the choreographies along with learning the artists' legacy and the message they want to convey.
In its fifth year, the show boasts solo and ensemble performances by artists from all over India, there are also special workshops by the artists, Padmini Chettur, Meera Krishnamurthy and Krishna Devanandan, Pravin Kannanur and Maarten Visser.
Surjit Nongmeikapam from Imphal, Manipur, is performing with his team of six and said the audience can look forward to an intricate performance which takes inspiration from the unseen culture of Manipur.
"Meepao, the dance form we are to perform is a dance in celebration of all the departed, especially the ones who are deemed inconsequential. Using minimal movements, Meepao invites the spectator into a space where dancers and non-dancers alike can join in this celebration. We have created this ritual ceremony to celebrate the unsung heroes of everyday life such as farm labourers, carpenters and street vendors who usually go unnoticed."
Deepanwita Roy from Silguri, West Bengal, who is set to perform a contemporary solo, said "The piece I will be performing called "Rituals of Fall '' is inspired by nature and the law of conservation of energy. Our bodies carry genetic memories passed down from our ancestors. My act focuses on need for evolution to transform old energy into another form to welcome the new."
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