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| ABOUT TRaC |
Dance TRaC Fall 2003
Akram Khan Dance Company performs "Kaash" at the Joyce Theatre "Kaash" begins with the potential of freedom. Akram Khan, choreographer and artistic director of his self-entitled dance group asserts this idea, remarking, "Is it not true that the empty space inside the cup is what makes it useful?" Freedom, or liberty, fuels self-reliance and courage. "Kaash" (the Hindi word for "if") is a blending of Kathak a structured art of Indian classical dance and contemporary dance the spontaneous Western dance technique. The contrasting theme of structure and chaos suggests the courage to question tradition and order. That being said, Akram Khan does not impose a particular reference, but rather cleverly leaves this theme up for interpretation, allowing the audience to appreciate it through different perspectives. "Kaash" was performed at the Joyce Theater. The audience was dreadfully dull, but the five dancers onstage displayed enormous amounts of energy. One dancer, Inn Pang Ooi, his back to the audience, waits as four dancers enter the stage, making angular and slicing hand motions. These gestures resemble the Indian god Shiva, a multi-armed god of both creation and destruction. These striking arm movements are executed with incredible precision. The lighting is dark, but not eerie, more serene. Suddenly loud drums vibrate in our ears, intruding on the stillness. The music by Nitin Sawney is intense and exciting; it conjures up feelings of energy and power. There is thunderous spiritual chanting by a powerful make voice, and then the chanting abruptly stops. Moya Michael appears alone center stage; her arms rise over her torso and are fiercely swerving over her head. Then she vigorously slams her body onto the floor, and positions her face inches from the ground. She smells the unfamiliar territory as though searching for a familiar scent. Stretching her neck and extending her strong arms, she explores space more intensely. Her character is inner focused. She is a wild explorer learning to make use of space, or potential freedom. What is it that she is searching for, or questioning? The audience wonders what it is she yearns for, and is intrigued by the mystery. The audience is engrossed in her every move, until the drums interrupt the ritual and the other dancers whip onto the stage, transforming themselves through geometric poses. The movements are not in real time; there are contrasting speeds of hurriedness and exhausted laziness. Throughout, the performance suggests resistance to a particular tradition, but as mentioned earlier, Khan declines to impose ideas, but instead encourages the audience to cultivate its own interpretations and thoughts, producing an objective and satisfying experience. The fusion of contemporary dance and traditional dance is evident in the modern black tunics that sharply contrast the old and ancestral gestures of the dancers. The set design, provided by Anishi Kapoor, is appropriate with the theme. The vibrant colors change as the dancers change mood and form: from a deep passive blue to a passionate blood red. When the dancers are overcome with confidence and assertion, the colors reflect this. "Kaash" confirms why Khan is experiencing acclaim at such a young age: he chooses skilled dancers (Eulalia Ayguade-Farro, Moya Michael, Inn Pang Ooi, Shanell Winlock) capable of performing with swiftness and using intricate footwork, the costumes are consistent with the theme, and the lighting is thrilling and provoking. He keeps his audience captivated. Overall, the show was electrifying and original. Akram Khan exposed us to fresh insights through the exploration of space and its symbolic gesture.
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