‘Beautiful, insightful, comic and poignant. This is a work full of warmth and charm.‘
Den lysande och eftertraktade dansaren Sooraj Subramaniam (Malaysia/Belgien) gästar NAVA GATI Contemporary Indian dance festival med tre utsökta danssolon förankrade i nutid med sårbara monologer som ställer frågor om tillhörighet och identitet: Reflections of an Indian dancer.
The latest collaboration between pioneering theatre maker Balbir Singh and highly sought after dancer Sooraj Subramaniam touches on the universal themes of home and sense of self, whilst remaining focused on the power of the individual performer.
Reflections of an Indian Dancer is anchored in three exquisite solo pieces in the classic traditions in which Subramaniam is trained. Bringing the work straight into the 21st century is the bold and at times very vulnerable monologue that accompanies the performance. Through this startling spoken word soundtrack, the audience is taken into the interior world of the performer and invited to explore their own sense of identity.
World-renowned dancer, Sooraj Subramaniam was born in Malaysia, raised in Australia and now lives in Belgium. Dance came into Subramaniam’s life at the age of 6 and never left. His work spans three of the main schools of classical Indian dance – Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Odissi, and his experiences in Australia led him to further training in contemporary dance and ballet. There is no dancer today so thoroughly versed in what it means to be a modern, multi-cultural performer whilst remaining true to the spirit of traditions honed over centuries.
Subramaniam has delighted audiences around the world throughout his career with the grace he brings to the stage, yet as he so candidly says, “it takes years of practice to do something with ease”. The dancer’s practice and the appearance of ease that come with it are the foundation of any performance, yet the audience is never privy to this daily search for perfection; an artist’s life remains private until only the final, minutely crafted performance is ready.
It is with this sense of a dancer’s interior life that dancer Subramanian approached this new work Reflections of an Indian Dancer. In creative partnership with Balbir Singh, this is his first autobiographical work; weaving together a lifetime of artistic experience, taking perfomative expression beyond the physical to delve into the most human of questions – home, identity, belonging.
CREDITS
Concept & direction: Balbir Singh
Writing, screenplay & performance: Sooraj Subramaniam
Dramaturgy: Dan Mallaghan
Production: Ezekiel Oliveira
Audio production: Elia Tomé
Trailer: Nathan Towers, Towers Film and Media
Photography: Emma Ledwith & Malcolm Johnson
Duration: 70 minutes
Datum: 6 maj 2023
Tid: kl 19:00
Plats: Teater Sláva/Tonsalen, Kyrkogårdsvägen, 2141 62 Huddinge
Biljettpris: Ordinarie: 220 kr, pensionär/student: 140 kr
Köp biljetter här: Klicka på länken
About Sooraj
Sooraj Subramaniam is an Australian-Belgian dance artist of Malaysian-Indian heritage. His training in Bharatanatyam and Odissi began at Sutra Dance Theatre, Malaysia. In Australia he studied classical ballet with Stella Johnson, and later graduated from the Western Australian Academy for Performing Arts.
In the United Kingdom he worked primarily with SRISHTI, teaching and performing Bharatanatyam. He also toured internationally with Akademi, Balbir Singh Dance Company and Shobana Jeyasingh Dance. Whilst in London he also trained in Kathak with Urja Desai Thakore, adding to his varied vocabulary.
Since moving to Belgium in 2012 Subramaniam has worked with independent choreographers Nicole Kohler, Kalpana Raghuraman, Seeta Patel and the Maghenta Collective. He continues to receive specialist training in Odissi with Madhavi Mudgal, Delhi, and since the global lockdown, virtually with Bijayini Satpathy, Bengaluru.
NAVA GATI Contemporary Indian dance festival is organized by Farhang förening in collaboration with Teater Sláva and Mosaikteatern with support from Kulturrådet.
17.30 Pre-show – Na dhin digi digi
NAVA GATI Contemporary Indian dance festival
5 – 7 maj på Teater Sláva/Tonsalen