Dancescapes, an exhibition by Shobha Deepak Singh, will showcase photos of performing artistes that she has taken over the years
For years, Shobha Deepak Singh has been known for conceptualising and choreographing dance dramas and promoting other cultural activities. And now, the veteran dancer and director of the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, has unfurled her new artistic avatar as a photographer. A solo exhibition of nearly 70 photographs of performing artistes during their intense performances on stage, titled Dancescapes will be shown at Visual Arts Gallery, from March 25. A book published by Roli Books by the same name featuring nearly 250 photographs is edited by Dr Alka Pande, will also be released. She is also the curator of the show.
Singh shortlisted over 3,000 images for this show, out of which she passed over 1,000 images to Pande, who after much deliberation selected 70 images for the exhibition and 250 for the book. The book will feature 70 vivid moments from the stage, which includes pictures of performances by Pt Birju Maharaj, Sonal Mansingh and Uma Sharma, and younger artistes like Ashavari Majumdar, Sharmistha Mukherjee and Rajendra Gangani. Singh says she has always been interested in photography. “I like capturing movements, more than facial expressions. Any kind of movement attracts me, be it a moving train or the lehenga of a dancer. For example, when an actor is doing an emotional scene, I freeze the moment when the tears roll down her cheek. That is my idea of perfect photography,” she said and added, “In 1992, I watched a dance-drama of Draupadi’s vastra haran. Instead, of capturing her facial expressions, I captured her long hair. It was more captivating!”
Singh’s camera captures a fleeting moment with uncanny precision. Once when she was late for a Kalbelia recital, she got a seat towards the end of the hall. But she wanted to capture the beautiful twirls of a dancer’s lehenga. “I had to work a little hard as I was sitting quite far away from the stage. Anyhow, I managed to take the picture and now it looks like a painting. It is one of my favourite,” she said.
“I began photography with a Roliflex camera and moved on to a Yashica later.” Her real stint in photography started in 1991 and there has been no looking back since then. She doesn’t stick to the technical advancements in photography and prefers film photography to digital ease. She started using a digital camera almost two years ago owing to health problem but her love for negatives is such that she is planning to return to film soon. “Film is the soul of photography. I think digital would be cheating to photography as we can adjust ISO and aperture speed. You can mould the ambience according to your choice by certain settings but I like capturing it the way it is. I have never used a tripod or flashlights. Capturing real moments and emotions is what I always prefer,” she said.
Preserving a picture is equally important as capturing it. “Nothing is impossible. I have been a photographer for the last 20-25 years and have ben preserving thousands of photographs since then. However, it started as a hobby and gradually became a passion. The pictures in Dancescapes are the ones I captured after 1992,” said the choreographer.
Singh believes the depth of the photography lies in black and white pictures, though she also clicks coloured photographs. “When you capture B&W pictures, it has all the hues in it. It certainly speaks of character more beautifully,” she said.