Dance performance: Brave conversations, both dark and uplifting

Performance exhibits layers of emotions that make up one’s life, but will only appeal to a certain audience.

KARACHI:

Deep, dark and a true symbolic representation of life — Joshinder Chaggar’s thematic, Conversations 2013 is surely a brave and brain-teasing effort. The play, a sequel to Chaggar’s original play, opened at the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) on Wednesday evening.

The sombre music by Ahsan Bari and Shoaib Lari, playing alongside the backdrop of a jungle, takes you into a place oscillating between grey to dark and depressing. On stage, are actors playing white birds and black crows that transition from one emotional aspect of life to another, with impeccable and soulful dance moves.

From self-loathing to depression, to the mere pressure of survival in the world, Chaggar and her dancers depict every element of life through the flight and movement of birds. While at one point two white birds express the intricacies of a relationship going from cheerful and loving to frustrating and troublesome, at another instance, the group of dancers portrays how evil is constantly trying to seduce and overpower good is.

Each actor deserves a round of applause for toying with human emotions and executing them with gripping performances. They range from sensitive and beautiful to intense and hard-hitting. The dance moves, while definitely a lot more technical, are pulled off effortlessly. The dancers cleverly use the stage space as they fly and curve, moving their hands with ease. At some points, however, the routines appear repetitive and fall slightly short of perfection. The music is glaring and dark but at the same time, touches one’s heart, relating well to the emotions being displayed on stage. The dim lighting is appropriate for the whole set-up.

While the play in its entirety might confuse the audience due to its experimental nature, the ending isn’t as easy to digest.

According to Paras Masroor, a renowned theatre actor who was present in the audience, the play was a first of its kind with thought-provoking moments. “Being an actor myself, I loved the performance. This was something new, with music playing a vital part in it. The performance was altogether a different combination of sorts in the sense that a variety of feelings were captured and portrayed. However, sometimes they became repetitive but overall it was a very magical,” she says.

The play will continue to run till September 1 from Thursday to Sunday at 8 pm. Regular tickets are priced at Rs600 and student tickets are Rs300.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2013.

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