Performance arts: From what we remember…

Come September 7, and Bangalore will witness a movement of a different kind. Putting aside all our differences and political upheavals, the Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts is staging a performance that takes us all the way into our souls and movement. MeiDhwani (derived from Tamil and Sanskrit, where ‘mei’ translates to body and ‘dhwani’ to echo or suggestion), the presentation, will be more like a sneak peek into the production before the group leaves for their European tour.

Director of Attakkalari and creator of MeiDhwani, Jayachandran Palazhy, says that this specific creation portrays individuals who are captives of circumstances and history.

“MeinDhwani is about the body’s memory of the landscape around. The world is changing fast and whenever we cannot handle what we are looking at, we look into ourselves and think about what we remember of that specific situation,” he says.

Driven by Attakkalari’s underlying philosophy “Traditional Physical Wisdom, Innovation and Technology”, this dance production was born from in depth research into ancient Indian physical and performance traditions. In this electrifying performance, the dancers seamlessly combine sensuous movements with powerful steps.

Hinting at the five elements through its props and symbolism, metaphors such as fire, water and earth underlay this contemporary dance production. In MeiDhwani, fire acts as an allegory for male energy and a destructive power within, while the symbol of water alludes to the ever flowing life stream. The metallic pots suggest a contained yet eternal femininity contrasted against the phallic, cylindrical oil lamps.

Jayachandran’s earlier productions include Chronotopia, Purushartha and Transavatar, which have toured extensively across India and abroad. This new dance offering takes cues from the architectural as well as geometric abstractions of the human body and the universe, while contemplating the strength of the human spirit.

Talking about Attakkalari as a life choice, Jayachandran says that there is always a strong line dividing those who took it for a short term and those who take it up as their career.

“Attakkalari dancers are in big demand; in India and globally, because this performing arts looks at body movement at a very critical level. Students have gone on to become professional dancers, into the film industry, worked with graphic designers and more. However, it’s not like you can take this form easily. Life is extremely arduous because you have to push yourself constantly,” he says.

Simply put: Attakkalari is like meditation where you actually have to become someone else to make it completely part of you. “It’s like tearing yourself down and constructing your body from scratch,” adds Jayachandran.

But, he adds, you can never become a true dancer unless you can prevent temptation from taking over. “If you decide to become a dancer in order to make money, you shouldn’t even consider the option,” he says. Attakkalari needs you 100%, body and soul but in return what you get is rarely tangible.

How then, does the group sustain itself? With Indian masses not quite patronising traditional dance forms as much as they should, is it difficult for Attakkalari to survive?

“When we do international tours, all our expenses are taken care of. In India, we do a lot of corporate shows and that pays well. If you ask me, yes we could always do with more encouragement because the Indian citizen is more obsessed with Bollywood these days. But I have to say that the scene has improved a lot over the years. There are people in the society who are willing to contribute to allow the development of the performing arts because they understand its importance in the construction and improvement of the society,” he adds.

MeiDhwani will be performed on Wednesday, September 7 at Ravindra Kalakshetra, Bangalore at 7.30pm. Tickets are priced at Rs200, Rs300 and Rs500 and are at www.bookmyshow.com or
www.indianstage.in and at Attakkalari Studios and Blossoms. Call 22123684 or 41483534.