Darshan
Rooted in the South Indian temple dance tradition of Bharatanatyam, Darshan deploys the unique and much celebrated sentiment of ‘Bhakthi’, or devotion.
Devised by layering the theory of 'encountering the divine', drawing on visual theory detailed by scholar Diana Eck, with the famous Sanskrit verses of Adi Shankaracharya (788- 820AD), the performance attempts to comprehend the ecstatic experience involved in Darshan. Interweaving past and present, the numerous sensory perceptions of the moment (thinking, feeling, assimilating, describing) are placed in conjunction with storytelling and representation.
Darshan incorporates video design by John-Marc Gowans, who has created imagery based on some of the choreographic themes and subtleties underlying the choreography, in collaboration with Divya Kasturi.
Credits
Original choreography and music composition
Late Guru Sri Udupi Laxminarayana
Choreography redesign and performance
Divya Kasturi
Video design
John-Marc Gowans
Marketing
Rohanne Udall
Music
Vocals: S R veerarghavan Percussive enunciations:
Udupi Laxminarayana
Indian cymbals: Madhumathy Prakash
Viloin: Veeramani
Flute: Ramanujan
