A space for choreographers and dancers coming from diverse backgrounds to work with 2 choreographers with different approaches to developing a contemporary cultural practice.
In the mornings, Hemabharathy Palani will teach contemporary dance, particularly the Attakkalari technique, and her own vocabulary which is a blend of Indian classical forms such as Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and the Kalarippayattu martial art with international contemporary dance techniques. There will then be an initiation into the idea of alignment, breath, focus and sense of gravity, followed by short sequences introducing the principles of movement in Indian performance traditions, martial art forms and body care systems.
In the afternoons, Annalouise Paul will lead exploration on how we access our unique dance DNA, lineage or ancestry, so we can innovate or hybridise movement as a consequence of cultural triggers. Shifting the focus away from form as the end result, the workshop aims to empower contemporary dance makers to explore cultural material and traditional artists to discover new approaches to generating unique movement through tasks and a shared dialogue.
Musicians welcome.
Annalouise Paul trained at Laban Centre and with key flamenco maestros, shehas been making intercultural dance theatre for almost three decades. Her works explore the nexus of traditional and contemporary languages and intracultural approaches for exploring identity and transformation.
Hemabharathy Palani (IN) is a Bosch Choreography Award winner and a senior dancer, teacher and rehearsal director at Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts, Bangalore and a prominent figure among the emerging choreographers of contemporary India.
Annalouise Paul. Photo: Shane Rozario