DBF PHOTO ESSAYS

The DBF Photo-Essay series was inspired to tell the stories and share the talent of emerging dance artists in India who have been a part of the DBF residency and remain associated with the Festival. We believe that as you hear in their own words about their journeys in dance you are moved, provoked and encouraged in your own endeavours. The artists were invited to write in a language they were comfortable with and support for translation/editing given.

If you would like to request an audio version of an essay please email us at dancebridgesfestival@gmail.com.

ASISH SINGHA

I attempted to learn and perform Indian classical dance but I could not find the freedom of expression I desired in this form. My search for a new movement style led me to move to Kolkata after my graduation. My formal dance journey began in Buoyant Performing Arts, Kolkata in July 2012 where I completed a dance diploma with a scholarship. I trained in the dance styles of ballet and contemporary and I was fortunate to have been exposed to the movement styles of various in-house and international teachers here. In the last few years, I have tried to learn as much as possible and have also trained myself in modern styles such as Horton, Graham and Limon technique. I have also trained in flying low, improvisation and contact improvisation. My experiences with these varied movement styles have nurtured an interest in body lines and liquidity for me. Currently I am working on these two particular skills so that I might learn all I can about it.

My journey has come full circle and I now teach dance and work at Buoyant, where my journey first began. Through the years I have also come to participate in many residency programs such as Dance Bridges Festival. Before the pandemic hit, I attended a dance festival in Delhi which led me to feel the connection between body, mind and nature. This inspired me to broaden my horizons and start experimenting with art and movement. This is how I came to play with experimental modelling and theatre.

I have slowly been able to explore creative movement, which I felt I could not do before. My experiences have given me what I need to choreograph my own pieces. The concept of body lines and liquidity through improvisation and contact improvisation have heavily influenced my works. I have continually been developing several works based on various social and environmental issues. I also started a venture of my own called ‘Arts-Connect’ where different artists can come together and collaborate and raise awareness about arts in various other small cities and villages in West Bengal. I believe art is something everyone should have access to since it is a medium for expression; it can be healing, it can tell a story, it also power to create political and social change.

I consider myself to still be learning and hope that I will be able to explore new spaces and learn new movement styles as far as possible.

ZOE DOMINIQUE SUBBIAH

When I first discovered my love for dance, I had only one goal in mind – to become a dance teacher. However, as I grew as an artist and experienced different aspects of art and dance, I realized that goals can change. Somehow, whenever I rigidly planned my life, something or the other would happen and my plans would go up in the air. So, I switched my approach to ‘one step at a time’.

My various experiences with Dance Bridges Festival, from being an audience member, to intern to a participant in the residency helped me to expand my horizons as an artist and to dream bigger. Studying the Diploma in Dance Studies from Trinity Laban, Conservatoire of Music and Dance opened my eyes to the vast possibilities connected to what we consider to be contemporary dance. After my dance stint in London and the beautiful performances I have seen over the three editions of Dance Bridges, I came to realize my inclination to choreography.

I first learnt what improvisation is thanks to my training with Vanessa. This came in handy in London, since improvisation was a big part of many modules I studied there. What started off as an awkward movement practice for me came to be something I fell in love with deeply. After this, improvisation has come to be a big part of my movement practice and choreographic style.

While I have participated in a fair share in commercial dance, my own movement style is inclined towards contemporary and improvisation. My very first attempt at choreographing a piece was for my final Choreography exam in Laban. Through improvisation, I choreographed a biographical piece about the two dancers who worked with me; one was a Bharatnatyam dancer and one was a Vogue dancer. This piece was 1 of 8 chosen to go on stage at the end of the year.

I was able to experiment more with my own movement style and develop my choreographic skills during the pandemic. I worked in collaboration with a couple of composers in the UK and one of the pieces we developed was featured in the New Lights Festival, 2020 in London. I also participated in a choreography competition in 2020 called ‘Nrittam’ where I developed a piece called ‘Skin’ with Denis Barwa. The entire piece was choreographed through improvisation, shot on my phone and edited by myself and a friend. I happened to win 2^nd place for this dance short film. However, what I loved the most was that I was able to choreograph in the way that I wanted to.

While I still aim to be a choreographer, I have also found myself inclined towards Dance Movement Therapy. My own experiences in Dance led me to seek therapy myself and my interest in matters of mental health have cemented my desire to become a registered Dance Movement Therapist. I believe many mental health issues can be aided through dance which is why my new goal is to find a balance between mental health and art.

PAPIA CHAKRABORTY

As an Indian Classical Dancer after some point it was necessary for me to get out of the frame and explore more. I realised that if not, I was bound to move in the same pattern which I didn’t want. From there my journey began towards contemporary dance. As a result of my previous practice I was thinking about moves and technique. In 2017 I stepped into DBF and I was part of a 15 days residency program and also a part of a main festival as a dancer.

This platform helped me to see art beyond moves, to understand your breath should be your moves. Technique helps you to develop your physicality. I was under the guidance of Dam Van Huynh(UK), associate director of the festival and his team. Vanessa Maria Mirza, the founder-director of the festival always guided me as teacher, friend, and well wisher of my journey. I feel that this connection is never ending. Still each and every aspect where I need help to progress my art, they are with me. After that I didnt stop. I had my first choreographic creations presented at PECDA2018, DBF19 and Goa Dance Residency 2020.

My studio practice is Indian classical hand gesture incorporated into contemporary dance technique and this finds its own unique movement quality with internal breathing patterns and emotions. Emphasizing on a few acrobatic movements, floor wok, release technique, isolation of body parts, extension and spine mobility. I love to play with improvisational tools,and my work in dance is to release my emotions,incidents that let the body react. The mind then follows and vice-versa.

In this pandemic, we all explored ourselves in different ways. I can’t stop myself from moving and exploring my art. As we were not able to access the studio, couldn’t meet dancers or friends or students, I started to explore the movement of nature, people around me, their walking pattern, daily routine, work pattern, everything behind the camera and found amazing archive footage which is so intentional and pure. I have started to make a film. Almost everyday I failed and learned and finally made it. That film was selected in the Korean Cultural Participants Initiatie(CPI) Cultural Experts Training Course with a collaboration of SID Dance Korea. It is a screendance project where they enhanced my shooting and editing skills from an artistic point of view and gave me the funding for a dance film. My idea of working with film is to use digital media in performance and combine the two. Two versions of work I am planning to make are live performance version and the screen dance version.

Dance Bridges Festival is one of the best platforms in Kolkata where dancers can grow and understand their pathway and has helped me to open my vision. I can see my growth and understanding towards my work. I have been honored to be a part of DBF since the last two editions. I’m waiting for next edition.

SABITA SHAW

I am a dancer and performer based in Kolkata. I started learning dance professionally in 2014 at Buoyant Performing Arts. From then onwards there was no turning back . I have done many residencies & workshops with national & international artists including Dam Van Huynh, Diya Naidu, Dalija Acin, Kendra Carson, Janet Reed and Nicole Lam among others.

I performed my first contemporary piece ‘Human Ways ‘ choreographed by Saurabh Surekha for DBF 2015. In the next edition, in DBF 2017, I was a part of residency with Dam Van Huynh. It was a great learning experience, where I got to learn how to create different movements not only with my body but also using different elements around us. I was also in of DBF 2019 performances, where I was a part of a piece WRECK – List of Extinct Species by Pietro Marullo, recreated with local artists in Kolkata.

I have been one of the key performers for ‘Into the Daydreaming’, a very special choreographic piece for babies and toddlers aged 3-15 months and their care givers . The piece was conceptualized and created by very well known choreographer Dalija Acin Thelander from Sweden (2018). I also performed in Strange fruit, by Satakshi Nandy which is inspired by the poem of the same name, written by Abel Meeropol.

The pandemic really helped many dancers to work on their passion and get better at what they are doing. It really helped me to push my boundaries, to think beyond my imagination, to work on my movement. Currently I am working on my piece called ‘ STUTTER ‘ that talks about the my journey of stammering from child hood till now. These are the questions I ask myself –

What happens when you are not heard and avoided?

What occurs when people think stammering is a disability?

What do you do when you are scared to talk and express?

What if people make faces at you when you speak?

These are questions I am asking to myself as someone who stammers.

(Subsequent to the completion of this essay,the piece was presented at Prakriti Excellence in Contemporary Dance Awards 2022)

AMITABH SRIVASTAVA

I have a diverse training in different folk, classical and contemporary dance forms in a span of 10 years, which include Mayurbhanj Chhau (folk dance form of Orissa), Classical Ballet, Kathak (Indian classical dance form) and contemporary dance forms. I have done my M.A. in Indian Dances from Punjabi University, Patiala and I’m pursuing my Ph.D. in dance from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata.

For last few years I have been trying to explore different dance forms and styles, taking training under different dance companies and performing with them, to find out my reason to dance. From time to time I realise that there is no particular reason to hold onto. It is an eternal journey of reasons and realisations. In the end what matters to me are my experiences. I have been living in different cities including, Delhi, Patiala, Patna, Bangalore and presently Kolkata to explore different dance communities and the uniqueness about them.

In the process of this exploration I was introduced to Dance Bridges Festival, Kolkata and the concept of residencies in 2019. I was a part of the two weeks residency program with other fellow dancers under choreographer Dam Van Huynh and Van Huynh Company dancer Tommaso Petrolo. They facilitated detailed research of their movements, techniques and creative process. We went through the process and presented our piece twice in the end, one at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity’s amphitheatre and one at Quest Mall for a public audience. The whole experiences was unique. It brought me out of my comfort zone, questioned my availability and acceptance towards the change, challenged my physicality and willpower to adapt to the change and in the end gave me freedom to make my own choices.

In particular I want to highlight one process that we followed for the performance. There was one part of the performance which was in unison where the whole group was supposed to connect through breathing. Our breath was our rhythm for the coordination which was quite challenging. With the proper guidance we achieved it in the end and this experience stayed with me.

The pandemic affected all of us in different ways according to our privileges. I started doubting my choices based on the current situation and probable future. I was fortunate to be with my family. It took me some time to open myself to the virtual world. I struggled with space and communication as most of the people. There were ups and lows. At times those were quite dynamic in nature. But somehow I held onto the motivation to move and I adapted. On a positive note the pandemic pushed a new perspective towards art. Spaces that went unnoticed every day, natural sounds that never drew our attention became our performance spaces and music for our creative ideas. I am really grateful for the initiatives from different art organisations including Dance Bridges Festival to give opportunities to artists including this one and keep my hopes high. I am sincerely looking forward to be a part of it in the future.