Jaivant Patel Dance Presents the UK Tour of YAATRA

The sensational, striking performer, Jaivant Patel presents a new dance production called YAATRA by Jaivant Patel Dance. The UK tour starts in London at Tara Theatre, London on Thursday 17th October and ends on Thursday 28th November at Déda, Derby.

YAATRA is a captivating bill of Kathak and British Contemporary dance. Kathak is an Indian classical dance form, the principles and aesthetics of which influence Jaivant Patel's work, along with British contemporary dance.

Rooted in Jaivant's experience as a British Indian homosexual, the performance offers an exciting new perspective on South Asian LGBTQ+ narratives, faith and spirituality. The evening celebrates two cultures and the intersectionality of living in one, while paying tribute to traditions, heritage and exploring often untold stories of the other.

The production starts with AWAKENING which uses Kathak dance in collaboration with choreographer Nahid Siddiqui. The piece looks at the gender binaries and gender fluidity present within the iconography of Indian mythology. The evening continues with YAATRA, choreographed by Jaivant Patel. Using his life experiences as a gay man of British Indian heritage, the piece is an exploration of his personal faith when entering existing spaces of traditional worship paralleled with the spiritual spaces he has chosen to create for himself.

'We are really excited to be taking YAATRA and sharing it nationally as a production that seeks to ask relevant questions about important contemporary issues, coming from the fresh perspective and life experience of the South Asian LGBTQ+ community. As a gay man, I feel passionate about the importance of sharing narratives from the South Asian LGBTQ+ and other marginalised communities that are rarely exposed. The multi-layered production also looks at my experiences in contemporary and traditional religious spaces. The show has something for everyone and I am confident of the positive impact it will have on audiences.' Jaivant Patel, performer and Artistic Director

YAATRA (including AWAKENING) features choreographer and performer Jaivant Patel; Choreographic Collaborator (Awakening) Nahid Siddiqui; Composer (Awakening & Yaatra) Hassan Mohyeddin and Poetry/Spoken Word Artist (Yaatra) Ali Harwood.

Jaivant Patel is an Associate Artists with Mac and Arena Theatre and a dancer and cultural leader based in Wolverhampton. Since graduating from The Northern School of Contemporary Dance he has worked with renowned choreographers; Sharon Watson, Laurent Cavanna, Jeremy Nelson, Bisakha Sarker, Tanusree Shankar, Shobana Jeyasingh and Nahid Siddiqui. Jaivant Patel Dance exists to challenge complexities of inherited notions, perceptions and stereotypes surrounding British-Asian identity. South Asian dance forms, aesthetics and principles inform and influence the creation of contemporary work targeted at diverse audiences.

YAATRA UK TOUR presented by Jaivant Patel Dance includes:

Tara Theatre, Thursday 17 October at 7.30pm, 356 Garratt Lane, Earlsfield, London, SW18 4ES

www.tara-arts.com, Box office 020 8333 4457

Midlands Arts Centre, Wednesday 13 November at 7.30pm, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH www.macbirmingham.co.uk Box Office: 0121 446 3232

Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton, Saturday 23 November at 7.30pm, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV1 1SE www.wlv.ac.uk/arena-theatre/ Box Office 01902) 321 321

Déda, Derby Thursday 28 November at 7.30pm, 19 Chapel St, Derby DE1 3GU, www.deda.uk.com Box Office 01332 370 911

www.JaivantPatelDance.com

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