Love and Spice
Intro/Underlying threads and themes
Love is a dance between opposing energies
Spice is also a dance between opposing energies, sweet, savoury, tangy, creamy
With both of these
…when balanced – magical force is unleashed that brings harmony and growth
….when out of balance – – – disaster is soon to come
Since the dawn of time our desire for love and spice has driven us to travel to the furthest reaches of this world and strive beyond to the magical worlds of the gods
Ganesh – sweet – in the spiritual world
Chicken Curry – savoury – in this world
Spice Chess
Intro – Abi and Kali show that they are the chess players whilst narrator speaks
Turmeric – Pawn – dance sequence with all dancers
To begin our game we need a playful pawn
Deep in the earth there glows a hidden root
Bulbs bursting with goodness, a branched and bumpy fruit
Bring me up from the dark to the light
And taste my bitter hue
No other can match the vibrant tone of turmeric
Cut me, pound me and I’ll pour with flavor anew
Abi calls Turmeric to C4 from her end position then moves to place her piece on the board
Nutmeg – Bishop – contact sequence with Kali and Sooraj
I taste nutmeg
And I am cocooned
Just like this tender fruit safe in its husk
I am a child nestled in my grandmother’s arms
Sweet fragrance calms and caresses me
But beware – for in this game nutmeg is our bishop, using its calming qualities to the lull the opposition into a false sense of security
Kali calls Nutmeg to B6 from his end position and then moves to place his piece on the board
Mustard Seeds – Knight
Delicate flowers that have been dancing with the arms yellow sunlight for thousands of years
Not many would guess such an innocent origin for the mustard seed, mysterious knight of our chess board
Even less can understand its mysterious transformation from light to dark, peace to potency, from the safe to the unexpected.
Ancient orbs that pop with power enough to build the kingdom of heaven, cure and ailment and weave a sweet sting into any dish
Abi calls Mustard Seeds to D8 from her end position and Narrator moves the piece at the board
Chilli – King
Chilli is the King of spices
And those who are wise keep their distance
Too many tongues have been tempted and burnt
Hot agony, powerful as flaming thunder
King chilli incinerated any evil that lingers
But approach him with care and our King will delight you
Entice sumptuous sensations into your special dish
Touch, temperature, pleasure, pain
With his royal power he will stoke the fire within you
Kali calls Chilli to F5 from his final piece and Narrator moves the piece at the board
Cardamom – Queen
Cardamom is the Queen of spices
Neatly composed in her pod she is regal, refined, balanced, beautiful
Her fragrant energy flows easily through her kingdom conveying peace and harmony throughout
But once her pod bursts there is no end to her expressive flavor
Passion, pleasure, dance, ecstasy
Go ahead – lose yourself in her hypnotizing whirls, let her waves lap against you
But never forget the ruthless power that she can unleash with every bite
Abi calls Check! From her final position
Love and War Duet
Star Anise
Transition sequence couple of Abi and Kali morphs into couple of Sooraj and Laura
Losing Senses – dance sequence of couple cooking together, narrator speaks as if it’s an intimate diary entry, but as she repeats, phrases get lost and confused until just a few basic words are left
They say that variety is the spice of life
But we have always said..
Love
Love is the spice of our life
And spice is the spark of our love
We chop nutmeg, ginger, pepper
Tip paprika into the pot
We have stirred
We have simmered
Spices have always lingered
On our skin
As we hold hands tight
In the kitchen we are one
As we dance with their textures
I pour into your hands as they rub soft powders
You sprinkle onto my heart as the bubbling gets louder
These are the smells and tastes that have created our lives
Taste and Digestion
We are what we eat,
We eat what we are,
As we breathe, as we eat, we are in divine encounter with the universe
I open my mouth
I close my eyes and I travel to the world within
The oesophagus is the channel from light to dark
Muscles that dance in unison to tease the morcels down
My stomach is my strength, strong acids that strike out infection
My intestine sifts the good from the bad
Sings with the spices and sumptuous molecules
Absorbing the nourishment that will make me stronger
Keeping my spirit alive
I am what I eat
I eat what I am
My digestion is my transformation
The Butter Thief
In all of this there is one ingredient missing
Something simple and honest
That allows all the flavours to float and flourish
On its innocent skin
Unnoticed, Unspoken
Humble and homely
It is Butter
Butter cool and squidgy as it glints on the counter
Butter warm and soft as it melts on the cheeky childs hands
Butter – that safe and sound feeling that only lingers in the enveloping arms of the truly beloved
For where butter is bountiful so is the unconditional love of the melted heart…a love that can transmit across any boundary and overcome any obstacle, a love that forgives, a love that forgets a love that lets all those who meet it to float and to flourish in their very own way
And it is here in our story that we meet Krishna – god of love and notorious butter thief
Story telling of Krishna the butter thief – culminating in unconditional love of his mother
Dance sequence of Krishna the butter thief
The Final Dish – Annapurna summons the Gods
Annapurna is the goddess of food and nourishment
Mother of the material world
It is only with her sustenance
That we can grow
Now we call on Annapurna to heal and restore our lost senses
It is only with her blessing
That this food can be transformed into something magical and healing
She is calling on Ganesh the Elephant God, Choreographer of the universe and remover of obstacles
He stirs inside his giant belly all of the opposing energies of the universe
His trunk is long and agile, unable to untangle even the most complicated knot
His tusks are long and pointed symbolizing focus and transformation
His ears are huge sails in the great winds of knowledge and he can grasp from even the quietest sound great understanding
But above all it is Ganesh’s sweet tooth that will add to our recipe. He is the delicious thread of sweetness that binds us all together whatever our differences may be
She is calling on Krishna, cheeky, playful, the god that blossoms with so many personalities
The god that dances so easily between our world and the world of the Gods
Krishna symbolizes the unconditional love and devotion that transcend and boundary and heal any wound
Annapurna is the goddess of food and nourishment
Mother of the material world
It is only with her sustenance
That we can grow
Now we call on Annapurna to heal and restore our lost senses
It is only with her blessing
That this food can be transformed into something magical and healing