Exploring the experience of space in design and performing arts 64
Dissertation 2011-12
Relation to the Change in presentation to audience the audience as a challenge. In her choreography Tilt, she challenged the frontality of performance and brought the audience closer to the performer, engaging them in the energy and experience of the dance itself.
Presence of a sequence of events from idea to implementation
Different in each case. Have not yet evolved an elaborate and clearly articulated idea. The idea forms in collaboration with the body which gives movement for which you may not always have words for. You then don’t need to rationalize it. It is also less verbal and more experiential.
Use of idioms
For me Bharatnatyam is the idiom that is what I play with and against. Small things that trigger references. Use of symbology that comes from mudras, the actual shapes that the body makes. A mudra takes you into a world of meaning, a shape on the other hand; it references the tradition and reservoir of physical body movement. Each has a deep meaning for me, the muscle memory triggers a while set of other sensory memories.
VIRKEIN DHAR
My dance is introspective, and the process of introspection can be meaningful which then develops a quality to attract people. Common thread lies in the examination of the classical form. Goes back to the history, socio-political, poetry of dance in each piece. Discontent with the presentation of dance. Examine my love-hate relationship between the way dance is perceived and marketed. Different every time. Very often I know the end result, but the approach can be drastically different and vice versa as well. But more so with the first. For example, in Fanaa I was clear about my idea of presenting the poetry of classical dance in a completely non-classical manner and my approach was thus led by this. On a conception level, I am very clear so the process becomes very simple. It can be an abstract narrative, nonlinear narrative but it is always narrative based. So when there is narrative, there is a language and so there is symbology. Sometimes I borrow directly from the traditional, and sometimes don’t borrow directly and I feel this is doable so I do it, consider it a possibility. As long as the sincere intention of the person comes across, then I will be with them through this journey. It’s not important the audience understands everything; it depends on your degree of engagement.