Bangalore witnessed two of the most imaginative and inventive dance works of UK-based choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh recently. The double bill of dance, titled Faultline and Bruise Blood, was performed at the Chowdiah Memorial Hall. The performance was a spectacular piece of work unlike anything seen before. An intense dance production, it used dance, music and visual and sound effects to give the audience a completely new experience. It also commented on a relevant issue.
The show had eight performers, from various parts of the world, specialising in different dance forms.
But a performance saw them combining contemporary dance with Bharatanatyam and martial arts to come up with something extraordinary and surprising. “As a company, this is the first time we are performing in India and it is both exciting and terrifying,” said Devraj, one of the dancers who is originally from Bangalore.
Before the show began, the dancers mentioned that while the audience in Europe is more open to such dances, they are really looking forward to this performance. “We are performing for a younger audience here,” said Nicol, one of the performers.
The dance production was inspired by a variety of events including the anxiety among young Asian men due to terrorism. There was a recording of a Soprano voice, which was electronically modified by an artiste called Scanner to give an unsettling effect.
Faultline painted a gripping picture of the turbulent tensions among the 21st century British-Asian youth.
Scanner’s electronic sound was interwoven with music to make the entire performance intense and moving.
While the dancers were from different backgrounds, they were completely in sync during the performance showing their dedication towards the project. The dance was different not only because of its content but also the way it was presented. Bruise Blood, the second production, consisted of the electronic composition Come Out and live beat-boxing by Shlomo. “His vocal repertory of grinding, whirring noises can feel astoundingly brutal, especially with the blood-red wash of lighting over the stage,” said Shobana Jeyasingh.
The performance was an exciting and cutting-edge mix of forms, influences and dance styles. It included contemporary hip hop music and beat box and most importantly, themes inspired by current affairs.
The show was a visual treat for the audience and the dance movements were definitely something they had not seen before.
The straight movements and spectacular stunts were flawless and left everyone asking for more.