Sudip Chakraborty fuses Kathak and Macbeth in this unique production
International dancer, choreographer, and director, The Nirvana Arts Foundation Sudip Chakraborty attempts and achieves the unthinkable by combining the age-old form of classical dance Kathak with the Shakespearean spell-binding drama Macbeth. Out, Damned Spot! (ODS) is a solo production amalgamating dance, drama, and emotions. As the performance will be staged at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity for a lively audience, we speak to Sudip about the production and Kathak today.
When did you realize that dance was your calling?
As a child, I was taken to a dance class by my father, and ever since I have been dancing. Initially, it was just an extra curriculum, but with time especially after the age of 13, it started to feel different. I was more sensitive and serious about the subject. But it became my voice only after I left home around 2016 end. Whatever I felt, experienced, learned, observed, and wanted to rebel about, became my subjects of emphasis.
How did the unique crossover between Indian classical dance and a Shakespearean text come to your mind?
I didn't start with any agenda. I was a student of Bengali literature in college. So my inclination towards classics has always been there. Many of my previous works were about regional myths, Indian literature, Persian texts, western literature, classics, and different cultures worldwide. I thought of working on a Solo Macbeth Production around the year 2019, but it did not materialise.
Further on my research, I found out no one had done a solo Macbeth using Kathak before. So it provoked me! Why not? The only concern was, if I'll succeed due to the vastness of the characters and the progressive intensification of the play, but at least it would be a great way to expand my learning. My body was trained in Kathak since childhood, but luckily I had the exposures of other dance forms and Indian theatre as well. So while adapting the play within the solo format I didn't just want to make it a Kathak Dance piece. I wanted to keep the primary essence of the drama while using kathak as a medium to weave the piece with my convictions. So it became the first ever Solo Macbeth in a Contemporary Dance-Theatre format based on Kathak.
What made you stop at Macbeth while choosing the text?
I won’t say I have read all of Shakespeare but Macbeth was one of them. I was fascinated by the layers of the classic. Its progression of the characters, intervals between the right moments, and the use of time, metaphors, prophecies, emotions like rage, betrayal, lust for power, and sheer madness made me terrified and tempted. And someday day I wanted to attempt something of that sort.
How long did it take to curate the performance?
The idea struck me in 2019. But to be precise, between the script, music, lights, design, and the final choreography, I worked from 2022 to 2023. The premiere performance was in August 2023.
How do you prepare yourself before taking to the stage?
Before every show of Out, Damned Spot! I start from scratch. It’s a month-long process for me. I trim my entire head off. Revisit the work again. Listen to the soundtrack over and over, while individually practicing each character. 10 days before the performance I do the full run-through several times and just two days before the performance I stop doing everything.
How has Kathak evolved over the years?
Out of all the Indian dance forms, Kathak was the first one to step out for creative use. It has come a long way, from streets to temples to courts to proscenium stage, and now in social media platforms and within contemporary practices. I am a practitioner, who enjoys the nostalgia, versatility, and freedom of the dance form.
What nuances help to hold the audience’s attention today?
Today's audience is social media driven, hence variety, authenticity, and 'able to connect' content is the first thing that comes to my mind even if it is a full-length stage performance. While the sense of holding on to the roots is nostalgic, I personally feel that the newness of the approaches is inherent to hold the attention of our audiences today.
A lesson that Kathak has taught you
You are never ready! You are never done!
Inspirations you look up to…
Besides my Guru Pandit Jaikishan Maharaj, I look up to Aditi Mangaldas (Kathak), Kalamandalam Gopi (Kathakali), Mallika Sarabhai and Malavika Sarukkai (Bharatanatyam), Bijoyini Satpathy and Sharmila Biswas(Odissi), Siddi Lerbi, Akram Khan (contemporary dance), Vikram Iyengar, Saswati Garai Ghosh, Prachi Save Sathi, Gauri Divakar, Ambali Prahraj and more.
Upcoming performances
I have an ODS show on April 18 at Lady Sreeram College, New Delhi. Besides, my new work Echos of Nerciss-Us and Swam Prakasha Kirana premieres in June 2024 in Delhi.
Out, Damned spot will be staged at KCC on March 30. Tickets are available on the official website.