
City-based Alif Arts Consultancy is all set to stage two remarkable performances with their new show, The Platform 2025, which navigates the intricate interplay of tradition and self-reflection. The evening features two dancers of Malaysian-Indian heritage — Sooraj Subramaniam and January Low, who will be performing their solos Reflections of an Indian Dancer and Pending, respectively. Converging bharatanatyam, odishi and kathak — the production spotlights the unseen moments of how a dancer comes to be.
Reflections of an Indian Dancer transforms the stage into a canvas for storytelling steeped in history, poetry and lived experience. “Reflections of an Indian Dancer was directed towards me by Balbir Singh of Dance Company, UK. For Balbir the work had to speak plainly — to make accessible information about Indian dance that too often feels overwhelming. This solo performance is a finely crafted work of unfolding prosepoetry, a soundtrack to my journey as a dancer. Based on my writing, the script reveals the genealogies of the Indian dance styles that inform my repertoire,” shares Sooraj. Having toured across the UK and Europe, Reflections of an Indian Dancer is now set to premiere in India with The Platform.
January Low, in contrast, turns inward, offering a poignant meditation on the unseen labour and faith that define a dancer’s practice. Pending emerges from her mentorship with renowned odishi dancer Bijayini Satpathy, whose guidance granted her new agency in her creative explorations. “This work reflects how odishi thrives within my Malaysian body, shaped by my life as a mother of three,” January shares.
With minimalism at its heart, her performance echoes the quiet rigour of her daily practice, offering a glimpse into the private world of a dancer. “I wanted the audience to witness the physical and emotional work behind each performance and to challenge their habitual gaze of the Indian classical dancer,” she notes. Together, these two performances offer not just an evening of dance but a dialogue on the unspoken nuances of artistic labour.
₹900. February 1, 6.30 pm. At Medai – The Stage, Koramangala.