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photograph courtesy Yann Pitchal, Pondicherry

“THEN & NOW- PERSONAL & ARTISTIC REFLECTIONS”
A MULTI-DISCIPLINED APPROACH TO DANCE
by NIRMALA SESHADRI

Date: March 13th, 2009
Time: 7.15pm
Venue: India Habitat Centre (Lodhi Road, New Delhi)

Dancer Nirmala Seshadri presents “Then & Now- Personal & Artistic Reflections”, a poetic monologue. In this experiment the classical dance form Bharatanatyam meets with poetry, music, theatre and video images. “Then & Now…” moves between the past - the memory of a Bharatanatyam margam performance, and the present that is contemplative. A woman, in the autumn of her life, experiences an evening of aloneness, yearning, dejection and acceptance. The work is centred around the English translation of the Mandarin poem, “Aspiration”, by Singaporean poet Dan Ying.

Conceived, choreographed and performed by Nirmala Seshadri, the piece first premiered in Singapore in 2003.

Born in Singapore, Nirmala Seshadri trained in Bharatanatyam for many years in Singapore under Santha Bhaskar and later from gurus in India. She has studied dance theory under the guidance of noted scholar and musicologist TS Parthasarathy and also learnt Nattuvangam from Karaikudi Krishnamurthy. A recipient of various awards including the Singapore National Arts Council’s “Young Artist Award”, Nirmala is also an arts educator and writer. Nirmala is currently a member of the Board of the National Arts Council.

Nirmala’s choreographic work is experimental in nature. In seeking contemporary expression through her classical form, she has gradually moved into a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary approach. Over the years, she has been pushing the boundaries of her dance form and discovering connections with music, poetry, theatre, film and visual art.

In her experiment with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Nirmala juxtaposed her dance with Chinese orchestral music, as well as with the poetry and painting of Singapore’s most celebrated multi-disciplinary artist, Tan Swie Hian. This culminated in her solo performance with the live 70-member orchestra.

Nirmala’s recent works include ‘Outcaste Eternal’, ‘Crossroads’, ‘Then & Now…’, ‘The Celestial Web’ and ‘Radha Now’.

CREDITS

Poetry- Dan Ying
Music- BV Balasai, TV Ramprasadh
Creative video - Chetan Shah
Lights – Zubin Mehta
Technical Support – Mrinalini Avadhani & Priyanka Seshadri
Artistic Support- Vasanthi Sankaranarayanan. Chandra
Concept & Choreography- Nirmala Seshadri