Simeon: contemporary in form, classical in design

Netherlands-based Bharatnatyam dancer Kalpana Raghuraman on marrying the past with the present in her choreography for Simeon

What to expect? Simeon will showcase a diptych based on ten Holt’s ‘Canto Ostinato’ and ‘Lemniscaat’

For Netherlands-based artist Kalpana Raghuraman, Bharatanatyam as a dance form goes beyond the subtle movements as she marries her compelling postures from the core values and grammar of the dance form with western classical music. Simeon , an ensemble work created by the independent choreographer will be performed this weekend with eight dancers from her own company KalpanArts Reimagined with music by the Matangi Quartet. Simeon will showcase a diptych based on ten Holt’s famous works ‘Canto Ostinato’ and ‘Lemniscaat’, in which Raghuraman addresses ‘the individual’ and ‘the group’ and the pressure of daily life.

“I have used the form and technique of Bharatanatyam but not in a traditional way. You will recognise a lot of Indian material which is used not in the same manner that people know of. With these pieces, I have created my own vision,” she shares.

Two worlds

In her pieces, Raghuraman deals with socially relevant themes that allow her audiences to experience dance in an accessible way. It’s a world where the dancers and musicians complement each other. “The first piece has more traditional dance material with the movements, facial expressions and the hand gestures but it is used in a different way and the music of western classical creates a different effect,” she says adding that this work both uses and is a tribute to contemporary Dutch composer Simeon ten Holt. The composer’s music has inspired a generation of creative minds to make connections between music and other artistic responses. Sharing Holt’s philosophy, Raghuraman’s choreographic symphony juxtaposes Bharatanatyam with music that is inherently classical Dutch in nature.

“But if you look at how he has written his music, you’d think he is Indian. It’s very rhythmical with calculations that we normally have in Indian music. You never hear that in western classical [music].

It’s very repetitive and evokes a trance-like feeling that keeps changing. Music in this performance is the canvas that’s created for the audience,” she adds.

Modern form

Born and raised in the Netherlands with Indian roots, Raghuraman is well versed in the traditions and the sociology of Indian dance. She was taught the basics of dance by her mother Sharda. “At first, I was performing the pure form, getting musicians from India, creating my own tours. I even went to India to continue dance studies and to conduct research in Cultural Anthropology. I wanted to go beyond the scope of classical form,” she says revealing that in 2002, she started researching “something unique” that would distinguish her performance from the others. “I have used the approaches to classical material that are rich and extremely relevant. I have taken it out of the jacket of traditional music and paired it with a live string quartet. If you hear the music and see those movements, you will see that it is nonlinear which is a contemporary style of storytelling in the West,” she explains.

Fresh approach

Being the first and the only choreographer in the Netherlands who is making a mark on different stages with her dance style has also helped non-western dance forms gain professional status. “It has been a long path, being in the country where they don’t know even the form and now I have a dance company,” Raghuraman declares. She shares that this has helped her to break through the exoticism normally associated with eastern art forms. “The audience has been exciting in Europe and we have had packed theatres which is a big deal for contemporary Indian work,” she declares.

Simeon will be performed on June 30 and July 1 at 8 p.m. at Rangsharda Auditorium, Bandra; more details at bookmyshow.com