Tell us about your ongoing ICCR dance concert, Questionings, which you are taking across the country.
It’s the coming together of Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Norwegian black metal music. The theme is Kalyug, with a play of dark energies— a time when energies are not in balance.
Indian classical dance and black metal music—an extremely unusual combination.
For me, black metal represents the energy of Kalyug—a fragile, material age. Even so, both Bharatanatyam and black metal have black and white sides to them.
So the two don’t clash?
The music comes out like a thunderbolt; to match that, I kept the Bharatanatyam active.
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Your last concert, Meetings, was gentler, bringing together ballet with Indian music.
It was less impressive.
You shy away from the word ‘fusion’.
Yes, for me these concerts are ‘meetings’, when each art retains its original form.
Is it easy to bring together different art forms?
I think connectors already exist; we just need to find them by going into the essence of the art forms.
How has contemporary dance evolved here?
There is some movement but universality in contemporary dance is not being explored.
Any cutting-edge choreography you have come across?
There is interesting work going on but I feel performers have closed themselves to the public; there is a loss of connect with the audience.
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How can one reconnect with the viewer?
By going deep into each art form. There is a lack of depth at the moment.
Any thoughts on your next choreography?
My work on this performance has just begun, because even while performing, it’s always a work in progress.
