I have always had problems connecting to Indian dance. Since coming to Canada in 1977 I have tried to like and understand it, but it has been such a struggle, even with such luminaries in the Canadian dance scene as Menaka Thakkar and Rena Singha. I just didn’t get it, I mostly got bored or fell asleep! Sometimes the rhythms would intrigue me, at least for the first couple of minutes, not for the next half hour(s). I know that all those beautiful shapes mean something and if I could just learn what they mean I would be able to follow the story! But they all look alike to me! How can I follow the story? I remember one performance years ago, where the performer actually tried to verbally explain it all during her performance, that didn’t help. So I just gave up and stopped going to performances of Indian dance.
So when I met Hari Krishnan, such a lovely and genuine individual, and was impressed with some of the reviews I read, where he was reported to have successfully challenged traditions and made links to western contemporary dance, I was intrigued. I was impressed by him receiving a Bessy Award in NYC and I was ready for “trying it one more time”.
So last night we went to the Fleck Dance Theatre to the annual festival of New Directions in Indian Dance where Hari shared a program with two other performers. The three pieces he contributed, two short (thank God) and one medium piece, did add some “cross-over” elements, some interesting staging and better produced lights and sound, but it just wasn’t that interesting. Combining mediocre contemporary dance with tedious Indian dance that I can’t understand just does not add up to an interesting performance, unfortunately. I tried, I honestly tried!!!
Joost - Always Moving Forward! 