Kathak weaves kinetic images

‘Made in Bangladesh,’ shows the plight of sweatshop workers through dance theatre.

May 22, 2015 02:56 pm | Updated 02:56 pm IST

‘Made in Bangladesh.’  Photo courtesy: Goethe-Institut/Maxmuller Bhavan, Kolkata.

‘Made in Bangladesh.’ Photo courtesy: Goethe-Institut/Maxmuller Bhavan, Kolkata.

Helena Waldmann’s radical production, ‘Made In Bangladesh,’ reflects sensitively and relentlessly the reality of exploitation, plight and desperation of the garment workers of Bangladesh through dance theatre.

The tragedy of the devastating fire in a Dhaka garment factory in 2013, that killed thousands of workers, was the stimulus for the director and choreographer to explore these ‘sweatshops,’ along with the supposedly legitimate artistic ‘sweatshop’ of a dance studio.

Using the complicated staccato dynamics and repetition of footwork in Kathak as a choreographic reflection of piecework sewing, multimedia extension such as video clips and sound collages, Helena drew the parallelism between the plight of the seamstresses and dancers, through 12 Kathak performers from Dhaka.

The vertical bodyline of dancers and their stances were like the needles of sewing machines stitching in an up and down movement.

The intensity of the production was experienced as the audience entered the dark Science City auditorium, Kolkata, recently, and shots of the garment factory, where the fire killed the workers, were projected on screen.

The dancers walked in sync with the female workers to report for duty in the stifling interiors of the factory, projected on screen. Work pressure began to mount. One of the three male dancers turned into a robot and finally collapsed on the floor.

Taatkars with increasing multiplicity of speed and recitation of bols or mnemonic syllables carried to a very high pitch were matched with the ceaseless working of the giant needles projected on the screen by Anna Saup’s video. The gradually intensifying footwork (taatkars) of dancers with increasing beats were like a symbol of rising protest against the stressful working hours, without meals, to meet the target. Performance and target were also the major concern for dancers in their studios. The kinetic picture was amazingly striking but disturbing. The agonising and pulsating music by the musicdirector and composer Hans Narva, kept pace with the energetic movement of dancers and stitching by the seamstresses. Narva’s guitar strumming matched the sound of the sewing machines. This was the first part. The choreography focussed only on nritta. There were no ankle bells, tabla, or other elements of Kathak but only incessant striking of the feet and ceaseless chakkars. The innumerable chakkars became the symbol of continuous work and pressure.

The second segment was all about the experience in a dance studio where there was constant pressure to perform better. The dancers were the same but their costumes were stylish in blue, orange and earthy shades. Finally the two parts of the production were linked and turned into a garment made in Bangladesh.

Kathak dancers such as Munmun Ahmed and Shammy Akter were cast with Brit Rodemund as the video dancer. Nazma Akter, campaigner against exploitation in the industries, supported the project and brought the performers in contact with garment workers.

The video was an important tool. The composition and music production was by Daniel Dorsch. Dunja Funke as the dramaturgical consultant made an impact and the lighting was by Carten Wank.

Vikram Iyengar was the co-choreographer. ‘Made In Bangladesh,’ presented by Goethe Institut/Maxmuller Bhavan, Kolkata, was a production by Ecotopia Dance Productions in collaboration with Shadhona - a centre for the Advancement of South Asian Culture (BD) and Goethe – Institut Bangladesh.

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