The piece was inspired by the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and highlighted duality, which is seen in most of Frida’s paintings. Jyotsna embarked on a journey of dualities like male and female archetypes, pain and love, past and present, and tried to merge these two dynamic aspects respectively to find a new individualistic expression.The performance was an honest attempt to interpret a complex subject. The movements seemed largely abstract and most of the time, the audience was left wondering what the dancer was trying to convey.
The soundtrack was rather unique and signified that Jyotsna was trying to depict the importance of breath. Her movements were rather jagged to represent transitions in form due to a difference in breath. She needs to be commended for her ability to transform effortlessly, more so like the theme ‘Spirit’. The music was by accordionist Prakash M B and Jaydev Srinivas.
The piece ended with a video presentation depicting the making of the piece. The making gave an insight into the thought process of the dancer and was interesting to watch. When asked as to how she drew inspiration from Frida’s work, Jyotsna said, “I am not literally referring to her paintings but the duality in them. Another reason why I found her work interesting was because what kept Frida going was the spirit in her to live. In spite of all the hurdles in life, she kept painting. I see that as the driving force which inspires me to create.”
With her motif being the breath, she elaborated how breath plays a role in displaying the emotion of a person. She showcased the male and female forms by changing her pattern of breathing and body language. A member of the audience, who is also a dancer, said, “I found it hard to link the concept with her performance.
Though she showed immense potential as a dancer, I felt that the piece needed more explanation. It also lacked energy.”