Kathak dancer Aditi Mangaldas' forthcoming act stresses on the relationship one shares with oneself. She spoke to Iknoor Kaur
A year ago, renowned Kathak dancer, Aditi Mangaldas embarked on a journey to explore relationships. Inspired by the Shiva shakti and mythological tales of Bhrama, an idea grew up in her mind which eventually took shape of a dance performance called Within.
This act by her dance company and the Drishtikon Dance Foundation will be held at Kamani Auditorium on September 13, 14 and 15.
Unlike her previous performances, this one will be a combination of contemporary and original Kathak divided in two parts. She explained, “As the idea was evolving there were brutal incidents that took place in Delhi. Social turmoil started seeping in the production. So, I revisited all these mythological stories with reference to what was happening around us and it became the subconscious stream of the dance.”
Aditi added that she half embraces the good and half the bad through the performance. “I have looked at inner spaces of the mind. What door do we open to what emotionIJ We decided to not make it gender-specific because there is brutality all over the world in all forms. So I thought of looking at these polarities that exist between us and whether we let them out or not,” she said. J Krishnamurti’s quote has been a big inspiration for Aditi while choreographing the act. To understand yourself you must create a mirror that reflects accurately what you are…Only in the understanding of what is, is there freedom from what is.
Thus the 53-year-old uses mirrors as a metaphor. “We need to have the right mirror that tells us the truth about ourselves. There is another way of looking at it — the Sidhha image. It is an empty image through which if you look at the sky, you can see yourself. It questions that, is there another way to discover the eternity within usIJ” she said.
The first part of the presentation is called Knotted and is a contemporary dance based on Kathak. The second part is called Unwrapped which is a 40-minute Kathak performance. The stage is designed by sculptor Manish Kansara who has attended several rehearsals and understood the theme deeply. The lights have been textually created by Italian designer Fabiana Piccioli. This is for the first time tickets for a dance performance have been put on sale, said Aditi.
“When theatre can have a ticketed audience then why not dance. It is not for money but to make people respect the art form. In Delhi people are not ready to pay for dance. I want to change that,” she added.