| Maker | Sooraj Subramaniam |
| Duration | 80 min |
| Part of | India Dance Festival |
Monologue with traditional Indian dance about finding a home
In Reflections of and Indian Dancer dancer Sooraj Subramaniam brings the traditional Indian dance styles of Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Kathak to the stage. This solo, developed in collaboration with Balbir Singh Dance Company, highlights the universal themes of finding home, sense of self, and the power of the individual performer.
Reflections of an Indian Dancer is accompanied by a bold and vulnerable monologue presented as spoken word soundtrack, where the audience is invited to explore Subramaniam’s inner world alongside their own identities. This performance is Subramaniam’s first autobiographical work, incorporating a lifetime of experience. Above all, it asks questions we’re all familiar with: what does home mean to me and where do I belong?
Sooraj Subramaniam is an Australian-Belgian dance artist of Malaysian Indian heritage. His training in Bharatanatyam and Odissi began at Sutra Dance Theatre, Malaysia. In Australia he studied classical ballet with Stella Johnson, and later graduated from the Western Australian Academy for Performing Arts. In the United Kingdom he worked primarily with SRISHTI, teaching and performing Bharatanatyam. He also toured internationally with Akademi, Balbir Singh Dance Company and Shobana Jeyasingh Dance. Whilst in London he also trained in Kathak with Urja Desai Thakore, adding to his varied vocabulary.
Having experienced dance in various cultural settings, Sooraj has come to understand that ‘contemporary’, rather than referring to any one form or vocabulary, implies a manner of working that is immediate and personal, responding to anything an artist deems relevant to themselves. It is this intrinsic value of individuality that allows for diverse expressions to coexist within a shared artistic landscape.
Korzo Studio