The historically famous Indian musician Tansen was a Dhrupad singer at Akbar’s court. It is said that after hearing Tansen sing, Akbar asked if it was possible for anyone to sing better than him. Tansen replied that his Guru Swami Haridas was a much better singer. How can this be possible? asked Akbar. Tansen replied to sing for you, the king. Swami Haridas sings for God.
In Tansen on a Tightrope, three artists explore the tension between performing to please an audience and practising art as a spiritual act. They interweave Dhrupad compositions by Tansen with contemporary movement in a narrative inspired by Tansen’s life story. Can one singer, one dancer and a percussionist find the balance between tradition and modernity, introspection and performance, their inner selves and the universe?
Details:
Tansen on a Tightrope
May 4th 2019
7.30pm
Duration- 60 minutes
Language- mostly nonverbal, Hindi & English
Price- Rs 200
About Artists:
Tansen on a Tightrope is the result of an intense collaboration between Lucile Belliveau, an experimental dancer and choreographer and Sajan Sankaran, Dhrupad vocalist and scholar. Lucile is interested in authenticity, honesty and full presence to the instant using contemporary and age-old movement forms. She founded the Catastroflux Company in France, creating human performances intertwining music and dance. Since 2017, she has been exploring the possible interactions between Dhrupad and movement, while training in its vocal practice. Sajan is a full time Dhrupad student at the Gundecha Brothers Gurukul since 2013. He is driven by a quest for understanding in depth the meaning of artistic expressions in any medium. He is especially focused on the Dhrupad form, exploring its modes of interaction and impact with the human mind-body consciousness. They are being supported in their research by Akhshay Gandhi, director of the Still Space Theatre Company who has extensive experience in movement and theatrical forms. Ramesh Chandra Joshi will be accompanying them on the Pakhawaj the traditional percussion instrument used in Dhrupad
