Many young dancers, as well as dance companies here, claim to practise, teach and perform contemporary dance, but actually teach other forms distinct in their own right, says ace contemporary dance choreographer Cyrus Khambatta. Ankita Jain reports
There is a whole lot of confusion, particularly in our country, about what “contemporary dance” is. Perhaps, the reason is that the definition of this form of dance is not static, but rather inclusive and mouldable. It enhances itself over and over again by including newer discoveries and experiments in dance. Having said that, the definition of contemporary dance is not all inclusive. If it were, one might evidently argue that all dance falls into this class, including classical and modern dance, as well as commercial dance forms. For the purpose of clarification, Cyrus Khambatta, a New-York based contemporary dance choreographer, who also runs a Dance Theatre Company overseas, explains what western contemporary dance is.
“Contemporary dance is neither about uniformity of dancers, costumes nor is it about formation. Also it doesn’t have any boundaries. It is a radical break from classicism. Because contemporary dance is relatively nascent, it is unequivocally up-to-date and doesn’t hesitate to blend other elements like art, music, imagery and fashion into it”, said Cyrus. He also insisted that it is not something which is synonymous with chaos. “While a minimalist solo is as acceptable as a choral dance for a number of dancers, and while they are allowed to be bare feet or with high heels on; thanks to the training of the dancers, choreographers are able to create harmony amidst apparent chaos”, he added.
He recently presented a theme-based performance Casualties of Fate & Truth and Betrayal, a 65 minutes contemporary dance divided into two halves in the Indian Habitat Centre. Relativity and gravity constitute an essential part of the performance, while the rhythmic structures used to essay various contexts add significance to them. The body movements concentrated on the feet which moved in long strides as if testing and crossing hurdles on a blank space. It was a dance show with movements more free, fluent and interpretative of abstract ideas performed by five artists with the best use of space through different formations, one of them being of a flying bird.
“Casualties of Fate explore what we hide and what is seen: the neurotic impulses that lurk as we attempt to defend our coveted identities against the reality of fate. Truth and Betrayal was a treatise on the subject, a series of duet dramas of athletic force — as if the dancers wish to pummel the truth out of each other, delicately and not so delicately. From the intimate gesture of searching for the truth in someone’s eyes to the fear of reaching for the outstretched hand. The piece looked at the ways of searching for truth and our fear of betrayal, and the games we play to save our egos. The piece dissected the moment of betrayal through which our assumptions about truth, the truths we hold, confront us”, he said. His dance company performs in India every alternate year with a new theme altogether in collaboration with Interface, an international festival of alternative and contemporary expressions, the first ever international arts festival of eastern India.
Talking about Indian contemporary dance, Cyrus explained, “The Indian version is a somewhat different story. Many young dancers, as well as dance companies here, claim to practise, teach and perform contemporary dance, but actually teach other forms distinct in their own right, such as salsa, ballroom and different variants of jazz. This is inaccurate. But this may be because we aren’t entirely clear what contemporary dance is, and so we cannot possibly be clear on the matter of what contemporary dance is not.”
When asked about the beginning of this dance form, he said, “It’s not possible to determine the exact time when it began, but it is definitely a twentieth century phenomenon. Free from the rules and regulations of ballet, choreographers sought to invent new forms which later came to be grouped under the term contemporary dance. Over the past 10 years, the popularity of this dance form has touched the sky. Thanks to reality shows, dance shows and other such concerts, the contemporary dance scene is seeing a shift in interest among youths with special focus on the choreography, costumes, props, concept, design and the overall ambience”, said Cyrus talking about how this dance form is attracting youth across the globe.