Reflections of an Indian Dancer moves beyond the purely physical, overlaying the spoken word of the interior monologue with the dance.
This collaboration between Balbir Singh and highly sought after dancer Sooraj Subramaniam touches on the universal themes of home and sense of self, whilst remaining focused on the power of the individual performer.
Reflections of an Indian Dancer is anchored in three exquisite solo pieces in the classic traditions in which Subramaniam is trained. Bringing the work straight into the 21st century is the bold and at times very vulnerable monologue that accompanies the performance. Through this startling spoken word soundtrack, the audience is taken into the interior world of the performer and invited to explore their own sense of identity.
Subramaniam has delighted audiences around the world throughout his career with the grace he brings to the stage, yet as he so candidly says, “it takes years of practice to do something with ease.” The dancer’s practice and the appearance of ease that come with it are the foundation of any performance, yet the audience is never privy to this daily search for perfection; an artist’s life remains private until only the final, minutely crafted performance is ready.
It is with this sense of a dancer’s interior life that Balbir and Sooraj approached this new work; weaving together a lifetime of artistic experience, taking perfomative expression beyond the physical to delve into the most human of questions – home, identity, belonging.
‘Beautiful, insightful, comic and poignant, this is a work full of warmth and charm.’
Pulse Connects
← Back to Key works
