Projects—Master PPS Performing Public Space

Jun 29

Jun 29 BODY, SPACE AND NARRATIVES - RETHINKING BHARATANATYAM THROUGH EMBODIED NARRATIVES

Class 2019/20

This project explores the possibilities of unfolding new narratives through performative interventions in public space using the vocabulary of Bharatanatyam (Indian classical dance). Developing a relationship between people and space through “stories” as a representation of memories, thoughts and images, explores Bharatanatyam as an ‘embodied rhetoric’ of body, mind and emotions. I strongly believe that Indian classical dance creates “sense experiences” through collective embodied memories and hence should not be representational. Current narratives of Bharatanatyam are predominantly based on Indian mythological stories. As an artist it is my concern that this creates a distance between people and this practice. If a myth is a collective imagination of humans, can common narratives that evolve in society today replace these stories? Public space is where the every day and narration comes together, where “stories” evolve. Through experiments that involve memory, imagination and embodied movement, I try to initiate verbal and non-verbal dialogues in public space, exploring the possibilities of public space creating common narratives which are projections of the personal stories of people and space.

Narrative is present in every age, in every place, in every society... Narrative is international, transhistorical, transcultural: it is simply there, like life itself - Roland Barthes [1966]

SPECIAL THANKS
Special thanks and gratitude to my coach Heleen de Hoon for her guidance and empathy throughout the year. Thank you for your help in documenting my practical experiments - Maricarmen Gutierrez Castro in Tilburg and Taamohar Biswas in Mumbai. I appreciate the encouragement, participation and support from all my friends and family in the Netherlands and India throughout my experiments, a special mention to my sister Yamini.

Parijat Naik

Parijat is a choreographer and performer based in Mumbai, India. She has been formally trained in the Indian classical dance style Bharatanatyam and also has a background in Architecture. For the past 10 years she has been choreographing and performing at various festivals and concerts all over India and has taken her practice to countries such as Sweden, Hongkong and China. She is currently heading a group of dancers called ‘Soul Feet’ in Mumbai. Along with Bharatanatyam she also incorporates Bollywood and Indian folk dance styles in her work as she believes that no form of art can be categorised as high or low. Her artistic practice has a strong focus on storytelling, philosophy, culture and non-verbal communication. In her works she constantly tries to incorporate innovative methods, a contemporary approach to choreography and the belief that art is a participatory collective experience. She is inspired to continue her research in finding methods to redefine the position of traditional classical art in modern society.

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