Two of India's Best Dance Companies to Come to Scotland

Continuing the season of celebration of India and UK's historic alliance in the India-UK Year of Culture this year, the High Commission of India in UK, along with key partners in the UK and Indian festival producer Teamwork Arts, bring two of India's most celebrated dance companies to Scotland.

The troupes, Daksha Sheth Dance Company and Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company, are set to tour to Scotland this autumn as part of India @ UK 2017, an elaborate showcase of classic and contemporary Indian culture in a Festival of Dance and Theatre, which is traveling across multiple venues in the UK with a rich and diverse programming calendar.

Daksha Sheth Dance Company presents the UK Premiere of SARI

"Astonishing artistry, suppleness and energy make Sari a timeless tableau with a soul." The Hindu

"The dancers of the Daksha Sheth Company are phenomenal!" The Guardian

Sari, a show conceived to rekindle the lost playfulness and individuality of the graceful and inimitable "sari", expresses the weavers' imagination, the wearer's sensuality and her regional identity. The sari is truly the jewel of the Indian handloom industry, an industry which with its incredible range of colour, texture and design has, for millennia, been one the most visually striking elements of Indian culture.

Through the expertise of renowned dancer and choreographer Daksha Sheth, Sari is a celebration of this unique drape, in constant play with the body, both in stillness and in movement.

Bringing together acrobatics, dance and poetry in her trademark style, Daksha's knowledge of Kathak, Mayurbhanj Chhau, the martial art of Kalaripayattu and the aerial technique of Mallakhamb fuse with Indian contemporary dance to create a stunning and memorable performance.

Sari, an idea of Rta Kapur Chisti, co-author and editor of Saris - Tradition and Beyond, has been directed by composer Devissaro and choreographed by Daksha Sheth.

Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company presents Inter_rupted

"Wonderful excursions into the heart of rhythm, the energies of light, the ambience of space, the structures of movement and the power of stillness." The Herald

"Her artistry and poise, her dramatic gifts and unshakeable technique are truly astounding: dance as effortlessly compelling as this is a joy to watch in itself but underpinned by the questioning intelligence of Mangaldas, it becomes something transformative." Limelight Magazine

The celebrated Indian dance-maker Aditi Mangaldas brings her high-octane creation Inter_rupted, infusing the ancient art form Kathak with 21st-century sound, rhythm and light to the UK this autumn.

Eight dancers including Mangaldas are joined by a group of musicians on stage for a startlingly rich and intricate piece that emerges from the depths of the body, exploring its fragility, disintegration and renewal.

Considered a maverick in her country, the choreographer has consistently broken ground with her visionary merging of classic and contemporary Indian dance styles.

Unafraid to confront social and present-day concerns, her eloquent and dynamic work is characterised by percussive footwork, narrative gestures and dizzying spins. On Inter_rupted, she collaborates with Fabiana Piccioli, much admired for her striking lighting designs and winner of the Knight of Illumination Award. The mesmeric music is composed by Sajid Akbar and performed live on stage.

The UK-India Year of Culture is a twelve-month celebration of the long and rich partnership between India and the UK. It sees a vast programme of cultural exchange and activity taking place in cities across both countries, including a focus on India's heritage and contemporary culture as part of the dynamic India @ UK 2017 festival. Information on the full programme is at indiaatuk2017.com

Photo: Sari; phot by David de Souza

To post a comment, you must register and login.