Established in 1992, the Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts has made its presence felt in the Indian contemporary dance scene with works like MeiDhwani and For Pina . Its latest multi-disciplinary production AadhaaraChakra: A Dancelogue weaves together movement, film, light, plastic arts, multimedia design and sound to create an imaginary land that moves between the past and the present.
In a complex and often fragmented narrative, the dancers embody characters from diverse Indian locales and periods. Celluloid images accompany the sometimes surreal visual journey across India – Chidambaram, Tiruvannamalai, Karaikudi, Qutb Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, Rajpath (New Delhi).
Of the basic premise behind AadhaaraChakra , Jayachandran Palazhy, founder and artistic director of Attakalari, says, “Whenever I visit old architectural sites such as temples, Islamic shrines, tombs, churches, old houses or other monuments, I often wonder about the people that made these edifices and what their lives were like. What relevance, associations and meanings did these buildings have in their lives? Exploring life in those periods through literature, visual arts, music, dance and other performing arts, one realises that these buildings are indeed physical manifestation of memories. It is as though the lives of many people and communities and the myriad events, experiences and occasions in their lives are somehow frozen in time and preserved for us to witness. Similarly cities and landscapes also hold stories in them. AadhaaraChakra is thus an attempt to imagine those unsung songs of our past littered in the landscapes around us. As the canvas is so huge and complex, I have chosen a “docu-fiction” narrative structure. This is truly a multimedia dance production that traverses different time zones and spatial locations mapping human experiences in the process.”
An evocative soundscape from composers Sam Auinger and Martin Lutz combines classical Indian music, hawkers’ cries and popular cinema. Rupert Schwarzbauer’s images morph with versatile architectural spaces designed by Dominic Dube. Pipon’s light design interacts with Ken Furudate’s digital design to provide surprise elements. The production is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India; India Council for Cultural Relations; Archaeological Survey of India; Japan Foundation, Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, India and Atmosphere.
Bottomline: A journey across intangible spaces
AdhaaraChakra: A Dancelogue
When: November 23 @ 7.30 p.m.
Where: Ravindra Kalakshetra, Bangalore
When: December 1 @ 7.00 p.m.
Where: Purana Quila, New Delhi
More details: http://www.attakkalari.org/
