Getting Physical

Body in the City,the first contemporary dance festival by Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi,is a step towards introducing the movement here. Indian dance is said to be broadly divided into two streams — one that continues to be invested in projecting the idea of India,and the other that is fighting for artistic autonomy. The contemporary dance movement is about finding a voice to express our present condition and tell stories of our life as it pertains today.

Curated by Navtej Johar,the five works chosen for this festival are reflective of an attempt to make dance an autonomous expression. Surjit Nongmeikapam,a young dancer from Manipur says,“I don’t dance for the sake of dance,but to tell something. The body senses,feels,sees,remembers and it must tell its story.’’ His act One Voice revolves around stories of trauma and torture.

Anil Panchal,a Chhau dancer from Haryana,presents an act titled Just Dots,which also deals with aspect of despair but at an existential level. Preethi Athreya from Chennai combines dance,text and mime to explore the theme of longing in Fragment of Sweet Sorrow. Dravya Kaya by Johar is homage to his two mentors — Rukmini Devi and Chandralekha. Based on the Ramayana,the work attempts to enter the narrative through material objects found in the epic.

The event will be held at Tagore Theatre on November 15 and 16,6 pm onwards