Double bill: nimbus / Pallavi

In the solo nimbus, Subramaniam seeks a hybrid dance language in which he mixes the harmony and elegance of classical Indian dance styles with the abstract and spontaneous of contemporary dance. In this solo, he depicts the human capacity to dream. From everyday fantasies to existential life expectations and the inner conflicts involved. The title of the work refers to the Latin word for a dark, amorphous cloud, a metaphor for the world of feelings the maker wants to evoke.

In the new creation Pallavi, he explores the scope of the Odissi dance language with five Indian dancers. Through contemporary methods, he breaks open this classic East Indian dance style and presents it in a new contemporary context. In Sanskrit, the word Pallavi means as much as "budding" or "blossoming". Subramaniam therefore views this work as a seed germinating and growing into a multiple ecosystem. Starting from the minimalism and simplicity of a single movement, this performance unfolds and de-duplicates into a network of complex patterns and kaleidoscopic motifs.

Sooraj Subramaniam is an Australian-Belgian dancer and choreographer of Malay-Indian origin. He has a background in classical Indian dance styles like Bharatanatyam and Odissi, as well as ballet and contemporary dance. He places his creations in diverse identities, with a strong emphasis on poetic styles and choreographic examples from Indian dance. His work is not overtly political, but tries to transcend narrow labels such as classical or urban, traditional or contemporary, and/or just stand in the middle of them.

• This evening is part of Indialogue, a two-year festival in Ghent and Leuven dedicated to dialogue and exchange with the Indian art world.
• A collaboration between 30CC and STUK.

Press

“What he does is marked with perfection and beauty underlined with intelligence. I always think of him as a poet. And his body is totally tuned so it produces music in dance.“ (Aditi Mangaldas)

More info

www.maghenta.be
www.indiahouseleuven.be
www.soorajsubramaniam.com

nimbus
concept, choreography and dance Sooraj Subramaniam music Osama Abdulrasol light design Sooraj Subramaniam costume Greta Lemaitre dramaturgical advice Avatara Ayuso, Seeta Patel residencies Mestizo Arts Platform, Kopergietery, Viernulvier, Danspunt en Minard production Maghenta with support of the city Gent, the Flemish government, Sangam and Dancehouse Melbourne 

Pallavi
concept and choreography Sooraj Subramaniam dance Abhayalakshmi MB, Monami Nandy, Sriradha Paul and Akshiti Roychowdhury music Ambi Subramaniam rhythms Shivshankar Satpathy production Maghenta co production Shoonya (Bangalore, India) residencies STUK en Danspunt with support of the city Gent