Reclaiming the city, one dance step at a time

To draw the attention of the lawmakers towards the crumbling infrastructure in the city, people in Bengaluru have been using several art forms—graffiti, dance and such like.

Not so long ago, a group of Malleswaram residents chose Bharatanatyam as their medium of satire to highlight the plight of pedestrians in the locality.

Now, it is the turn of the noted danseuse Suhasini Koulagi, who is using the same dance form to highlight the city’s garbage crisis.

In a dance video released on Sunday in Bengaluru, Suhasini highlighted Bengaluru’s garbage fiasco and how the public can reclaim the lost ecological balance.

The nine-minute video is an adaptation of the popular Poromboke video by noted Carnatic vocalist T M Krishna released two years ago.

Sharing experiences of shooting the video, Suhasini said: “It is only when traditional art forms reflect the current situation, they become relevant. The entire process brought in a transformation in us. Responsible waste management is the need of the hour.

“The plight of the people who live around the landfills is something that needs immediate attention from the government,” she said.

Shot at landfills and dump yards in various parts of the city, the video was launched by social anthropologist A R Vasavi.

“When cities have grown beyond accountability, instead of just criticising the environmental degradation around us, it is important to raise voice against such issues,” Vasavi said.

The video reaffirms the fact that the commons are everyone’s concern and play a crucial role in sustaining our ecology. The video can be viewed at https://bit.ly/2MGukjc