Seeta Patel's NOT TODAY'S YESTERDAY Makes UK Debut At The Place

NOT TODAY'S YESTERDAY is a highly topical and brand new dance theatre production performed as a solo by Bharatanatyam (Classical Indian) dancer Seeta Patel. Created by Seeta and the award-winning Australian choreographer Lina Limosani, 'Not Today's Yesterday' was a recipient of the Adelaide (Australia) Artist Fringe Fund and won the Best Dance and Peace Foundation Award after its performance at the Adelaide Fringe Festival 2018.

Through a dynamic blend of Classical Indian dance, contemporary dance and visually arresting design, 'Not Today's Yesterday' makes its UK debut at The Place, London, on October 2nd and 3rd before touring the UK. Dates will include a series of curated talks with activists, historians and artists from all over the world.

'Not Today's Yesterday' - UK dates in October
October 2nd, 3rd London, The Place at 8pm www.theplace.org.uk
Press tickets available for either night from: judy.lipsey@premiercomms.com
October 5th Falmouth University www.falmouth.ac.uk
October 12th Brentford, Watermans Arts Centre www.watermans.org.uk
October 13th Bradford, Kala Sangam www.kalasangam.org
October 23rd Birmingham Patrick Centre Patrick Centre

The premise of this sharply observed one-woman show is the increase in the repositioning of political, social and global history to make it palatable for human consumption. Whether it's the debacle of Brexit, the fake news of Trumpland, the corruption of many a rogue state, Patel and Limasoni ask probing questions via a mixture of movement, music and text: what is cultural identity versus perceived identity; what is one person's version of the past compare with another's; how does the view of history affect the view of a culture and how does the disinformation affect progress and understanding?

Says Seeta Patel: "When I was studying Bharatanatyam, I was never told about its actual history. We learned about its mythical origins but it wasn't until I was an adult that I delved deeper and discovered much more. My curiosity led me to find out about the complex social and political history related to the art form I had been learning for years.

"This newfound information blew my mind. I realised there was much more than met the eye to what I had been taught. It was this whitewashing of Bharatanatyam's history that led me to look wider at other whitewashed histories which opened up a huge subject matter that connected many cultures around the world.

"I love Lina's creative use of theatre and intricate movement to drive dark narratives and I was really interested in seeing how we could push each other's skills. I wanted her to challenge my solo performance quality and see how she could help bring to life a complex idea through dance and theatre. The visuals are very important and we've used sound design and existing music to underpin and guide the emotional journey of the story. Lina took on this role and created a very compelling sound design - it's delicate and enticing at times and sometimes dark and unnerving."

'Not Today's Yesterday' offers audiences a chance to engage in an ongoing, international and relevant conversation about what's happening in today's arena of worldwide politics, and how it's even more important for the millions of voices and perspectives of people to be heard, considered and acknowledged as valid with pluralistic society.

"I want to show an audience how easy it is to be sucked into a story when the narrator of the story meets an expectation and is easy to listen to and warm and welcoming," adds Seeta. "I'm interested to know about the journey they take as the tone of the work and story shifts under them. It is my hope that the show is a visual feast that allows the audience to suspend their sense of disbelief. And then leaves them with a lot to think about..."

www.seetapatel.co.uk

Photo: Stephen Berkeley-White

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