Actor-danseuse Shobana brings her much-acclaimed show, Trance, to Hyderabad

The 48-year-old artiste will perform at Shilpakala Vedika on September 8.
Actor-danseuse Shobana brings her much-acclaimed show, Trance, to Hyderabad

Born into the family of dancers Travancore Sisters, Shobana Chandrakumar’s career as a bharatanatyam dancer was quite expected. However, the actor-dancer has carved a niche for herself with as many as 230 films and numerous dance performances across the world. Based in Chennai, where she runs a dance academy, Kalarpana, Shobana was also bestowed the Padma Shri in 2006 for her contribution to classical dance. While she continues to popularise the classical dance form with her evocative expressions and graceful moments, the 48-year-old artiste, along with her disciples, is bringing her much-acclaimed show, Trance, to Hyderabad this weekend. A collage of poetry, live and pre-recorded music set and themes of Hindu mythology including Siva, the avatars of Vishnu and Mary Magdalene, the 90-minute show, transcends religious boundaries.


Excerpts:
What can we expect in your latest production, Trance?
My previous work, Maya Ravan and Krishna, are both a spectacle of grandeur and research and I took over a year to make it. Trance is more of live artistry as opposed to recorded tracks. I have worked with the tavil (barrel shaped instrument) and other forms of percussion for five years. So, my style has a strong grounding in rhythm. This time, I interweave all my mediums into what I like to simply call ‘trance’. We have choreographed to seeming a wide canvas of ethos transcending religious boundaries.

How did you bring together Indian Classical and electronic music for this production?
Scholars and critics have long agreed that what is deemed as ‘modern’ now, will be called tradition in the years to come. There are similar movements in Trance that mostly stem from traditional dances of diverse cultures. But there is also some use of multimedia that completes the production and nudges the audience into the right ethos.

Do you think the traditional Indian dance scene has evolved in the last few years?
Bharatanatyam is one of the fewer classical forms that work with different languages. The face of not just this, but traditional dance, is changing and we, as artistes, are just tiny stars under a large canvas of creative possibilities. The classical dance has become more grounded searching for music that inspires and the playful side in me is celebrating with productions like Trance.

What are the stories that inspire you?
Dance is a spiritual practice. Being a storyteller, I have always been fascinated with our legends and stories that can be re-told time and time again. Whether it is India or abroad, there is always an interested eye and an ear.

How do you maintain the boundary between traditional and experimental?
Fusion is an experience of understanding art that one is not trained in. It becomes an exhaustive source for learning. It is a discovery of how and what you can contribute to existing and trusted energy. I feel odd to lay down the rules and seal off creative growth since I don’t own any of my artistic pursuits.

How different is dance and acting?
They are two different subjects. – where one is about being as close to reality and convince the camera of the emotion that you go through, the other is communicating subjects and legends that belong to a different time. While both have the freedom to bend and experiment, the pursuits on camera are frozen in time. On stage, you can change it a hundred different ways.

September 8, 7 pm onwards. At Shilpakala Vedika.
 

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