Category: Day 4

‘Bali’ is a story from the Ramayan that has been depicted using the traditional performance methods in India. The performance managed to keep the audience enthralled. A fusion of contemporary and traditional music accompanied by traditional movement-based pieces that depict the story of Bali and Sugriva. The performance was intense and yet inclusive of some comedic scenes. The lights managed to do whatever little was needed to complete the magic that the five incredible performers had created. The audience left the auditorium in utter awe of the control the performers had over their being on stage.

This open-to-all panel discussion had representation from Mongolia, Japan, USA, Georgia, Germany, and the Indian panorama. It was moderated by Dr. Ajay Joshi and brought to light the issues artists around the world are facing in terms of movement and exchange, such as funding, government policies, international conflict, lack of means/infrastructure, difficulty in accessing resources, etc. Each artist representative provided a glimpse of the situation in their country and shared the possibilities and opportunities they saw. The discussion was enriching to aspiring or practicing artists looking to engage in international artistic exchange, collaboration, and other endeavors. 

After a series of warm-ups, the participants moved on to explore their bodies through various movement exercises. Carolin Sanders used many different games in order to help people work on their inner selves and explore it if possible. Using music and blindfolds, the participants explored the other 4 senses which we usually tend to neglect. Moving without inhibition is necessary. For a performer, making mistakes, exploring and being in the moment are some of the elements necessary to build a performance and the performances were guided by these themes. The workshop ended with interaction about how the process of exploration went through the session.