Dance, Trance and Dreams: Where childhood fantasies meet adult reality

When dancer-choreographer Sudarshan Chakravorty was preparing his latest work, he decided to get personal and painful.

Members of Chakravorty’s troupe performing Parivahitam

When dancer-choreographer Sudarshan Chakravorty was preparing his latest work, he decided to get personal and painful. The piece, Parivahitam, is, in keeping with its complex name, a chaotic journey in which the dancers and the audience revisit their memories and relive the times when their childhood aspirations encountered the real world. Parivahitam will be presented as part of Interface 2014, a dance festival organised by Chakravorty’s Sapphire Creations, at the India Habitat Centre. In a telephone interview, Kolkata-based Chakravorty added that Parivahitam pays homage to the clash of innocence and experience that we have all gone through. Edited excerpts:

Infinite Possibilities

Parivahitam is drawn from the ancient Shiro Bheda of the Natya Shahstra in which the head is moved in opposite rotations, creating two circles like the number eight. Mathematically, this is also the symbol of infinity and, in our piece, it symbolises the world of endless possibilities. As children, we dream of being perfect and creating a complete world for ourselves; then, we face the real world and understand the futility of dreams.

Shadow Land of Dreams

The story begins with the dancer protagonist as a solo presence on stage as if in a dream. Two antithetical realities emerge as she begins to move — one is a nightmarish darkness against which she lashes out in a series of abstract contemporary dance movements. The other is the whole and made up of Bharatanatyam shapes that signify uniformity. I have tried to show that the protagonist is attempting to juxtapose her nostalgia and childhood aspirations with the limitations and ‘incapabilities’ of the physical world.

Trance and Truth

In Parivahitam, trance is an important element. We want the audience to constantly wonder about what is real and what time we are in. The characters in the piece juggle time in a metaphysical context and raise questions on the nature of reality. All through the production, we play on opposites and push beauty against madness, celebration against self-flagellation and the body against fragments.

Movements and Music

We always choreograph the whole piece first and let create the musical accompaniments around it. In case of Parivahitam, we had a visiting Swiss guitarist responding to the dancers’ movements and emoting it musically. Apart from live music, we also have spoken text in the form of American poet and writer Sylvia Plath’s lines, chiefly, “You flicker. I cannot touch you. I put my hands among the flames. Nothing burns.”

Parivahatam and American choreographer Robert Moses Kin’s performance Excerpts will be presented at the India Habitat Centre today.

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Dipanita Nath

Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life. Professional Background Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint. Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series). Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season: 1. Climate & Environment "Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week. "How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site. "Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner. 2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage "Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle. "Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport. "The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle. 3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc" "Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema. "Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups. "How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor. Signature Style Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune. X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More

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