When dance bridges the cultural gap

The US consulate and the Terence Lewis Dance Company have brought together two cultures on a human platform

On July 3, the US Consulate General and the Terence Lewis Contemporary Dance Company (TLCDC) have successful married two cultures. In association with the American Centre, TLCDC presented a special dance programme choreographed by Marin Elizebeth Leggat and performed by the dancers of TLCDC at St Andrews Auditorium in Bandra. The programme began with a contemporary piece, 'Surkh', which was followed by a mind blowing solo by Marin Leggat.

"My vision is to merge spiritual identity into artistic expression, and to dissolve religious and cultural barriers by focussing on themes common to all," said Leggat, a dancer, educator, choreographer and the founder of M.E.L.D Danceworks, New York.

"Contemporary dance is the creative vehicle through which I can directly engage my experience of religion within the creative process, and in doing so, give voice to other dance artists who wish to do the same," added Leggat who has a BA in Dance Education and Sociology from Brigham Young University and an MFA in Dance from the University of Utah. 

The highlight of the evening was 'Light Traces', which was a dance consisting of flowing dynamic movements and interesting experimental usage of light. It conveyed the message that humans are always in search of light in their lives. It was a unique piece of dance that Marin Leggat and the TLCDC dancers had been working on for the last one month. Marin and Terence met at Colombo where they had come together to teach dance in several tsunami affected villages in 2005. "It was in Colombo that Marin and I had decided to display a blend of Indian-American contemporary dance, and it took us two years to fulfill our dream," said Terence Lewis, founder and director of the TLCDC.

The dance performances have set an example that contemporary dance is a beautiful form of art even without music, and that silence is also a way of expressing oneself.

The US cultural envoy programme brought together contemporary dancers from various religious traditions and cultural backgrounds. "Together we've discovered the universality of our experiences and have come to celebrate our similarities and value our differences," said Leggat, who believes that dance is a common language through which our values, opinions and
beliefs can be given form and structure.

While in Mumbai, Leggat also conducted a dance workshop with the girls from the Seva Sadan Society, Gamdevi. They will make their on-stage debut on July 11. "US-India relations are at an all-time high, not least because of the strong-people- to- people relationship we enjoy. Marin Leggat and the TLCDC have served as a living bridge between our two cultures," said Micheal Owen, the US Counsel General for Western and Central India. Owen explained how the culture-connect programme seeks to promote mutual understanding as the envoy's mission is to engage with young people around the globe.

According to Terence, the training Marin imparted has left an indelible mark on them. "I hope to shed light on the role of 'belief' in our individual and collective lives, and pull that experience out of the dark into a place where all can witness, reflect, share, and celebrate together," said Marin Leggat.