Ankusha and Other Mysteries UK Tour

"Ankusha and Other Mysteries" was the debut UK tour of Kamala Devam Company which toured to Midlands Arts Centre (Birmingham), Warwick Arts Centre, Kala Sangam Arts Centre (Bradford) and Bernie Grant Arts Centre (London) in 2018. The full length evening featured four original dance works choreographed by Artistic Director Kamala Devam, including "Less of Me", "Jati-Swara-Leela", "Ankusha" and "Babushka vs. Renaissance Man", plus the award-winning dance film "The Art of Defining Me" co-created with choreographer Seeta Patel and filmmaker Maria Akesson.

Synopses of the evening's works:

Less of Me (2015) - A solo created and performed by Kamala Devam looking at the metaphorical space left inside after surgery and the crossroads of decisions in life, using monologue and expanding Bharatanatyam gesture into full-bodied Contemporary movement.

Babushka vs. Renaissance Man (2016) - A solo Kamala created on Popper & Locker and UEL graduate Kamila Lewandowska investigating meeting points between kalaripayattu Indian martial arts and popping. The work explores two distinct movement cultures' perspective on the idea of "battling".

Supported by the University of East London. Premiered at UEL’s annual Coll!de Festival, Stratford Circus in May, 2016.

Jati-Swara-Leela (2017/18) - A 15-minute classical Indian dance solo choreographed and performed by Kamala, accompanied live by western classical cellist Danny Keane and Indian classical multi-percussionist Pirashanna Thevarajah (artists on tour with Anoushka Shankar), with music arranged by Bharatanatyam guru Pushkala Gopal. The piece celebrates a rare parity between Indian classical dance and music onstage, giving space for play and improvisation between the dancer and musicians within the pure "nritta" aspect of Bharatanatyam.

Supported by Kala Sangam Arts Centre’s Artists Takeover Residency, Jerwood Charitable Foundation and Arts Council England.

Ankusha (2015) - Set to the music of award-winning British indie rock band "alt J" alongside an original score by Genevieve Crutchfield, Ankusha is a daring, athletic trio bringing together Bharata Natyam, acrobatic contemporary dance and physical theatre.

The ankusha is the elephant goad held in the right hand of the Hindu god Lord Ganesha, used symbolically to push souls down the path towards their destiny and pull them back to the intended path from which they stray. In a time of unprecedented philosophical polarisation, Ankusha questions the intrinsic human need to explain or control the course of one’s life.

Originally a Choreogata commission from Akademi South Asian Dance UK, it was created with the support of Arts Council England and residencies at Choreodrome (The Place) and the University of East London.

The Art of Defining Me dance film (2013) - In a tick box society where identity has become a commodity, this multi-award winning dance film co-directed by Seeta Patel and Kamala Devam sees them take a humorous look at how they as artists are influenced by the expectations and definitions placed upon them. Who puts us in these boxes; society, institutions, individuals or ourselves? Not a simple retaliation, the work observes and comments upon how we embody these expectations to find a certain safety and solace in them, almost enjoying them. But what happens to us when the box becomes our home?

Directors/choreographers/dancers Seeta Patel and Kamala Devam join Director of Photography Maria Åkesson to create a three-part film using dance, physical theatre and original script and sound design. The Art of Defining Me has been screened in over 15 film festivals around the world and won several awards including Best Experimental Film and Runner Up to Best Film at the LAB Film Festival 2013 and Audience Choice Award at the En-Route Dance Film Festival 2013.

Commissioned by Arts Council England, Pavilion Dance South West and South East Dance. Supported by Akademi South Asian Dance UK, Rich Mix, Swindon Dance and Asian Arts Agency.

In addition to the video of the evening submitted, here is the URL to watch Jati-Swara-Leela:

https://youtu.be/AU4DHFNE5qY?si=w39hjdWMbUbqvnqH

Kamala Devam Company (KDC) was founded in 2016 after the successful premiere of Kamala Devam’s first company piece Ankusha at the Southbank Centre in London.

Kamala Devam Company creates athletic and richly-layered dance work, seeking to affirm life for its audiences by taking risks onstage and through the concepts of its work. Kamala began her formal training as a dancer in the Indian classical tradition of Bharata Natyam in Northern California and went on to learn western contemporary forms. Integrating the themes and aesthetics of Bharata Natyam, western contemporary dance and acrobatics, KDC shapes a space where cultures and dance legacies collide by exploring the motivations that compel humanity to move forward.