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KAASH:
Breaking Barriers Through Dance
The scene is the Queen Elizabeth Hall on London's South Bank, and the simplicity is striking. A large white square with the centre black provides the backdrop in this minimalist setting. A lone dancer begins to perform and is joined by others until all five are moving in unison, graceful gestures within irregular movements. The performers are dressed simply in black, elegant, almost identical dress. The energy is unleashed, the intensity captivates.
Kaash, which means 'If in Hindi, is a collaboration between three prominent artists using different media. Anish Kapoor, the sculptor, sets the stage. Nithin Sawhney, the composer fuses the rhythms of classical and contemporary music to provide the beat. Akram Khan, the choreographer, pushes the boundaries of the classical Indian dance of Kathak to encapsulate the art of the new. As well as an encounter between different art forms, Kaash subtly explores the crossfertilisation of cultures and generations: East meets West and ancient wisdom meets modern style.
Synchronised, the dancers move fluidly with the music and each other. Their arms swing with sharp, hurried movements yet with precision and purpose. As erratic as it might sometimes seem, the restrained boundaries become apparent. At one point Akram Khan recites some of his Kathak training, linking the classical
Photos by Hugo Glendinning
Photo by Roy Peters traditions with the exploration of the between musical phrases and the empty new. In an interview with London spaces in space itself contain all the Dance magazine, he observed: "I feel mysteries of their eventual forms," that classical dancers have a boundary says Khan. and it is difficult to break that
Akram Khan, born in London to boundary in order to risk going into parents from Bangladesh, trained in the new territory. Being a classical dancer Indian Classical dance Kathak under the myself, it took a lot of training and tutelage of Guru Sri Pratap Pawar at the experience to be able to move past Academy of Indian Dance. He then that boundary".
studied contemporary dance at De Throughout the performance, the Montfort University, and later studied for music ranges between the traditional a degree in the Performing Arts at the accompaniment to Kathak to a more Northern School of Contemporary Dance. modern beat. The strength,
In 2003, Akram Khan completed his suppleness and agility required by tenure as Choreographer In Residence these seemingly light, graceful
and began his new status as an Associate movements are further appreciated Artist of the Royal Festival Hall, South once the music is removed. In this Bank Centre. In 2004 Akram Khan silence we focus on the movements, rehearses for his new Project, 'Ma', hear the laboured breathing, the which will be performed towards the sound of the body moving.
end of the year. Exploring this cross-cultural
Rita Puri expression further, we become aware of the values that underpin the performance. The visual simplicity of the piece, devoid of any clutter, allows the audience to focus on the dance experience. The restrained gestures reveal the discipline of mind and body necessary to achieve mastery of movement. The zest with which the dancers perform indicates their belief in their craft and their integrity in
Seven scholarships have been performing it. "It is important that we awarded by the Shri V. R. Gandhi remind ourselves of the value of that Scholarship Fund for advanced which we cannot touch. Is it not true studies in Jainism. The committee has that the empty space inside the cup is awarded these scholarships of Rs. what renders it useful? Similarly, the 15,000 for advanced studies, Ph.D. stillness between steps, the spaces and M.Phil in Jainism.
India: Scholarships in Jainism
Jain Education International 2010_03
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