2025 Festival of New Dance: Paratopias by Pratibha Arts/Bageshree Vaze with Big Steppers NL as curtain raiser
September 25 at 7:30PM, doors at 6:30PM
General: $25.00
Child/Youth: $10.00
PARATOPIAS by Pratibha Arts/Bageshree Vaze
with Big Steppers NL as curtain raiser
85 minutes
Family friendly, hybrid dance forms, cultural integration, Indian, live music
“Paratopias”
by Pratibha Arts/Bageshree Vaze
Inspired by Bageshree Vaze’s origin story of learning Indian classical dance in St. John’s, NL, ‘Paratopias’ imagines alternate realities in dancemaking. Set against a backdrop of video narrative, visuals and Kathak beat language composed by Vaze and Tabla artist/performer Vineet Vyas, this new dance work showcases intersections between Bharatha Natyam, Kathak, urban and contemporary dance languages to offer a counter vision of how to navigate between spaces, nations and cultures. It brings to life places of impossible belonging and identities that resist colonial assumptions about dance and human history. Featuring live music by Vineet Vyas and a multicultural and diverse cast including Sebastian Hirtenstein, Daniel Gomez, Raghav Monga, Bill Brennan, Varun Vyas and Avani Samyani, ‘Paratopias’ is a love letter to the St. John’s Hindu Temple, the stage as a destination and the spaces humans create in the quest for belonging.
“Whispers of Elements”
by Big Steppers NL (curtain raiser)
The act showcases how 5 fundamental elements of the universe – earth, fire, wind, water and space compete among themselves to establish who is the most essential to life on earth. Each element showcases their distinct characteristics and how that impacts life. Characteristics of each element is presented through a mix of traditional, conventional and folk dance forms of South India along with world dance forms. The grounded, rooted and unshakable nature of EARTH is depicted through movements inspired from KalariPayattu – an ancient Indian Martial Art. The fierce invisible chaotic nature of FIRE is depicted through NADODI NRITHAM and KRUMPING. The strong, unpredictable and flowy nature of WIND is depicted through INDIAN CONTEMPORARY DANCE, WHACKING AND KATHAK. The fluidic, boundless and grace of WATER is depicted through movements inspired from MOHANIYATTAM and FREE STYLE HIP HOP. Finally the vastness, calmness and stillness of SPACE is depicted through movement inspired from BHARATNAYTAM and TAI CHI
