Quicksand (2011-14)

https://youtu.be/rCYCtEvhK_0?si=ahw945eVl2uWJTGQ

Quicksand is Hari Krishnan’s response to conventional, culture-specific tropes in Bharatanatyam today and how these can be transformed into a thoughtful series of queer gestural contemporary portraits. The work is a contemporary and queer reading of the clichéd, ubiquitous depictions of nine archetypal emotions popular in Indian classical dance- Navarasa (love, disgust, compassion, valor, humor, fear, wonder, anger and peace).  Dancing on the quicksand of “tradition”, we question and challenge the notions of our reality, art, identity, sexuality, culture, and heritage in our lives as global citizens.

Choreography: Hari Krishnan

Dancers: Paul Charbonneau, Peter Hessel, Gerry King, Jelani Ade-Lam, Sze-Yang Ade-Lam, Benjamin Landsberg, Ryan Lee, Roney Lewis, Matthew Montgomery, Matt Owen and Robbie Singh

Music Composition/Sound Design: Niraj Chag

Lighting Design: Arun Srinivasan

Visual Design: Boyd Bonitzke

Costume Design: Rex (Rajavairan Rajendran)

Costume Construction: Shanthi Tailors

Premiere: March 16, 2011 at the Fleck Dance Theatre (Toronto, Canada) as part of the Kalanidhi International Dance Festival

 Quicksand was also performed from March 2-3, 2012 at Wesleyan University’s CFA Theater(Middletown, CT, USA); from April 12-14, 2012 at the Fleck Dance Theatre and from May 21-24, 2014 at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (Toronto, Canada)