Internationally acclaimed Dance Bridges festival was recently held the city of Kolkata. IMI Kolkata was a proud partner of the festival and hosted workshops, performance and jam sessions. The theme for this year’s festival was ‘The Sense of Intimacy’ bringing together curated choreographic works which share personal stories with a sense of vulnerability and honesty.
Gabrielle Revlock performing “Love Is Like A Butterfly” at IMI Kolkata. Photograph clicked by Mandala.
This was the third edition of Dance Bridges Festival 2019, held in Kolkata from 1 – 5 August 2019. The festival also explored the possibilities accompanying dance performed in unconventional performance settings. The proximity of the performer with the audience in such spaces, allow for the dance to be an intimate personal encounter. There were multiple performances, films and showcases from over 20 cities and 15 countries showcased across multiple venues in the city.
On 3rd August, 2019, the Alipore campus of IMI Kolkata witnessed mesmerizing performances from internationally celebrated artists.
Musicians enhancing the mood of Dance Bridges Festival at IMI Kolkata. Photograph clicked by Mandala.
Asomates Dynameis Dance Company from Cyprus performed a dance work about stamina, compassion and spiritual quest. It reflected the intimate voyage of personal elevation that signifies both the quest for meaning and the human desire to encounter oneself and the other. Performers narrated their stories, leaving traces of their personal paths.
Gabrielle Revlock from USA performed “Love Is Like A Butterfly”, a solo performance which builds on ‘Halo’, exploring the body’s relationship to a hoop in continuous motion. Using a hoop as a prop, she wanted to subvert the assumptions that first, a hula hoop must ‘perform’ as a hula hoop, and second, the excellence of a piece with a hoop is dependent on the hoop not touching the ground.
Various performances during the evening at IMI Kolkata campus. Photograph clicked by Mandala.
Similarly, the performance of Stefano Fardelli from Italy, was a personal tale of a morning contemplation scene experienced in Varanasi.
Martin Piliponsky Braier’s performance reflecting his view of the world was equally intriguing. The performance was choreographed in Kolkata during a 15 day residency programme with dance artists from different parts of India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Lastly, “Urban Chaos” spoke about modern lifestyles, struggles and the vulnerabilities of existence in an urban digital world. This piece found its expression in the microcosm of fear & psychology of people, thus representing the macrocosm of our booming urban centres. The very talented Parth Bhardwaj and his team delivered a thought invoking performance.
The audience at IMI Kolkata was delighted to be a witness to such beautiful and heart rendering performances. The chosen venues at the campus was packed to capacity with youngsters, millennials and others enjoying the show.
