First published by Catch, June 2015.
There are greater challenges in life and choreography than keeping one’s foot pointed through the course of a dance. In South Asia, as elsewhere, there is a growing number of performers who recognise this. And they are bringing a freshness to contemporary dance.
Most people think of ‘contemporary’ as a genre of dance, with a heavy emphasis on physical virtuosity. On reality television, this genre is akin to Western modern dance in form and technique, marinated in Bollywood for local flavour.
But these interpretations narrow the possibilities of ‘contemporary dance’. The five artists profiled below, on the other hand, show its breadth. They embody what ‘contemporary dance’ in the subcontinent is really about.
This generation of practitioners has moved past the angst over classical forms. Their work is not simply a response to classical or a rejection of it; it comes from new triggers that are conceptual or rooted in ideas.
They create dance that is provocative, political, playful. In other words: they demand that unscheduled, mid-morning YouTube recess.
Read the rest of the piece here.
