The Park's New Festival will bring together enchanting music, lyrical dance, dramatic visual art and enthralling theatrical performances. By Jigyasu Joshi
My story is about a boy whose head has been replaced with the head of an elephant and he is now looking for his own biological body part. It is my tribute to lord Ganpati,” shared Yuki Ellias, who will be performing a solo act, Elephant in the Room, at The Park’s New Festival. Celebrating its 10th year, The Park’s New Festival will bring together enchanting music, lyrical dance, dramatic visual art and enthralling theatrical performances. The festival aims to deepen the relationship with emerging art scenario in the country, revisit the rich heritage that boasts cultural endowments and provide a platform to international and domestic artists to showcase their talent.
This month-long rendezvous will witness the performances by maestro Shashank Subramanyam, a Grammy-nominated renowned exponent of the bamboo flute, lelo Nika, an accordion world champion, a contemporary dance performance by Surjit Nongmeikpam, a solo performance piece developed by Yuki Ellias and Ajinkya Shenava, to name a few.
Maestro Shashank Subramanyam
At the age of 12, Shashank performed the senior slot of the Music Academy, Chennai, a record he still holds. “By the time I was 11, I turned into a full-time musician. So fame came early to me. My guru, my father, always took care that my fame, with which came responsibilities, should not hinder my music”, said Shashank. After attaining quite a bit of mastery in Carnatic music, he had this yen to look beyond.
This year, at the Park’s New Festival, Shashank will collaborate with lelo Nika, an accordion world champion and his team — Thommy Andersson (bass) and George Mihalache (cimbalom) for an enchanting musical trail.
Yuki Ellias
“The elaborate 10-day Ganesh visarjan ceremonies in Maharashtra contributed in seeding the idea of exploring the story of Ganesha before he became a God,” shared Yuki Ellias. The theatre performance, Elephant in the Room, is specifically commissioned for the Park’s Festival. Performing all the characters in this solo play, Yuki said that the challenges were many while creating the characters for this play but at the same time it was fun.
“People get easily offended when it comes to something related to Gods but this play has very cute and lovable characters. And I wish they take it the same way”, she said. This play is written by Sneh Sapru.
Surjit Nongmeikpam
“Contemporary dance is all about expressing yourself. Since I’m from Manipur and the people of this state have a lot to express with regard to social injustices they face, I have always tried to incorporate those expressions in my performances,” said Surjit Nongmeikpam, who will be presenting a dance performance, Nerves, at the festival.
The contemporary dance piece is based on the conflict that Manipuri people encounter on a daily basis. “This performance is the extension of our views and ideas. Such festivals are a great opportunity for us to present our views in not just one city but many cities all over the country.
Starting with Chennai on 2nd September, the festival will sprinkle its myriad colours across Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi; with 22nd September, 2016 marking the end of the month long rendezvous.