Celebrating music and dance
Introduction: Astad Deboo brought to us an uncanny combination of dance and music on the 13th and 14th of December, 2004, at the ING Vysya Auditorium. Puja Goyal reports...
© Puja Goyal
Astad Deboo in collaboration with Clarke School for the Deaf in Chennai brought to us an uncanny combination of dance and music on the 13th and 14th of December, 2004 at the ING Vysya Auditorium.
Astad’s work with the deaf performers began sixteen years ago, which started off as a workshop with the Action Players of Kolkata. The performances soon took the form of full-fledged productions, and performance tours within India, and abroad. Astad’s contribution to dance is recognized by the Government of India, and was, conferred the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1995. He has been associated with the prestigious Gallaudet University at Washington D.C., USA, ‘Sena Y Verbo’, Theatre for the Deaf in Mexico, The Theatre of Silence, Hong Kong.
In November 2002, Astad along with his friends set up the Astad Deboo Dance Foundation, which aims to provide training and impart skills to the disabled and deaf community in performing arts, amongst other ventures, it aims to provide scholarships and aid to talented deaf performers, and finally, facilitate partnerships between the deaf community and corporate world.
A generous grant from the Royal Netherlands Embassy has made it possible for both, Astad and the Clarke School for the Deaf to bring to the Bangalore audience ‘Contraposition’. The music was composed by Amit Heri and the dancers include Mahalakshmi H, Mahalakshmi T, Jamuna Rani S, Divya H G, Gayathree S, MeenaKumari N, Silsha M V, Karthika R and Astad Deboo. The dances were choreographed by Astad and assisted by Lakshmi Mahesh and Narayanee Venkatasubramanian. Contraposition is a dance work that explores the Navrasas, which in other words are the nine emotions.
To be human is to feel, feel any kind of emotion that reaffirms in an individual that he or she exists. As such, the dance performance exalted and emphasized this very idea as the show proceeded to a grand finish. The dances were a celebration of life and emotions. With near to perfect synchronized performances by Astad and his students. The dances simplified the understanding of being human.
Is it important to hear music? And if you did not for a moment hear anything but were asked to move your feet to a rhythm, rhythm that you cannot understand or keep up with, would you dance? It was fascinating to watch dancers move there feet to a rhythm they could not hear, but feel. The dancers were supported by excellent costumes and good synchronized lighting.
The highlight of the program for people who could hear was the music that was the original composition of Amit Heri. The music was original, eclectic and contemporary. Much thinking would have gone into creating each piece. Heri also graced the stage for a couple of dances by playing live music while the dancers danced to his beat.
The show that was premiered first at Chennai, will be touring New Delhi and Mumbai next, and in January 2005, the troupe will be performing at the opening ceremony and cultural festival of the 20th Deaf Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.
Astad’s work with the deaf performers began sixteen years ago, which started off as a workshop with the Action Players of Kolkata. The performances soon took the form of full-fledged productions, and performance tours within India, and abroad. Astad’s contribution to dance is recognized by the Government of India, and was, conferred the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1995. He has been associated with the prestigious Gallaudet University at Washington D.C., USA, ‘Sena Y Verbo’, Theatre for the Deaf in Mexico, The Theatre of Silence, Hong Kong.
In November 2002, Astad along with his friends set up the Astad Deboo Dance Foundation, which aims to provide training and impart skills to the disabled and deaf community in performing arts, amongst other ventures, it aims to provide scholarships and aid to talented deaf performers, and finally, facilitate partnerships between the deaf community and corporate world.
A generous grant from the Royal Netherlands Embassy has made it possible for both, Astad and the Clarke School for the Deaf to bring to the Bangalore audience ‘Contraposition’. The music was composed by Amit Heri and the dancers include Mahalakshmi H, Mahalakshmi T, Jamuna Rani S, Divya H G, Gayathree S, MeenaKumari N, Silsha M V, Karthika R and Astad Deboo. The dances were choreographed by Astad and assisted by Lakshmi Mahesh and Narayanee Venkatasubramanian. Contraposition is a dance work that explores the Navrasas, which in other words are the nine emotions.
To be human is to feel, feel any kind of emotion that reaffirms in an individual that he or she exists. As such, the dance performance exalted and emphasized this very idea as the show proceeded to a grand finish. The dances were a celebration of life and emotions. With near to perfect synchronized performances by Astad and his students. The dances simplified the understanding of being human.
Is it important to hear music? And if you did not for a moment hear anything but were asked to move your feet to a rhythm, rhythm that you cannot understand or keep up with, would you dance? It was fascinating to watch dancers move there feet to a rhythm they could not hear, but feel. The dancers were supported by excellent costumes and good synchronized lighting.
The highlight of the program for people who could hear was the music that was the original composition of Amit Heri. The music was original, eclectic and contemporary. Much thinking would have gone into creating each piece. Heri also graced the stage for a couple of dances by playing live music while the dancers danced to his beat.
The show that was premiered first at Chennai, will be touring New Delhi and Mumbai next, and in January 2005, the troupe will be performing at the opening ceremony and cultural festival of the 20th Deaf Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.
© Puja Goyal
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