OUR WORK

ORIENTAL TRAIL 1 & 2  | A JOURNEY THROUGH THE SANDS OF TIME

Rangasthala Auditorium & ADA Rangamandira 

|   2017 and 2018

“The Oriental Trail”, a bellydance production, was first staged in Rangasthala Auditorium, Bangalore on September 09, 2017 and then in ADA Rangamandira on July 14, 2018. The production was curated by Shruti Narayanan and unlike other bellydance shows that were presented around the country at the time, The Oriental Trail was staged with the intention of introducing the audience to the rich lineage of the art form. The performances charted the transcontinental evolution of bellydance in chronological order and specific attention was given to the its folkloric roots, the Orientalist perceptions that shaped the art form and its resultant development. The sequences spanned periods from the 18th century to present day and the story is rooted to gendered perspectives on entertainment, history and cultures.

VINTAGE LOUNGE | RELIVE THE BELLYDANCE NOSTALGIA

Alliance Francaise | 2019

Vintage Lounge was a production that highlighted the styles that developed through the early 30s through the 80s in Egypt - a period of great significance for the Egyptian film industry. The production celebrated the technical sophistication, artistic expression and the unique styling of some of the silver screen legends that lasted a short while but left a lasting impact on the bellydance we see today.

STRII | AN ODE TO WOMANHOOD 

Rangasthala Auditorium | 2019

Strii was a bold, explorative dance-drama production, set to challenge our traditional representations of the female protagonists of one of India’s greatest epics – the Mahabharat. The artists were seen using various dance vocabularies such as  contemporary dance, Indian folklore, folkloric bellydance styles and powerful, organic body and prop work. The production was the brainchild of Shruti Narayanan and was co-produced by senior bellydance artists, Meghana Suresh and Pooja Rajpurohit.

Melding historical research, artistry and modernity, Strii was a reconstructive portrayal of the women who shaped the Mahabharata and who in turn, were shaped by events that were not entirely in their control. The struggle of many a woman caught in the dominion of a patriarchal system where they are required to conform in varying degrees through their lives and how they finally rise above it all, were highlighted through the individual acts choreographed by the artists.
 

THE VINTAGE PROJECT | GOLDEN HAFLA

An Online Production | 2020

As a part of a 6-month online Vintage Intensive, each student from the intensive was assigned an artist from the Golden Era and was asked to study their work and detailing over six months. Each student then had to complete the intensive by presenting original choreographies inspired by the Golden Era artists they were assigned. This culminated into a beautiful online production, which was further made beautiful by International Guest Artist and Golden Era aficionado, Badriyah's performance.

ARCANUM | WHEN TAROT MEETS BELLYDANCE 

An Online Production | 2021 

An interpretative and explorative international online production - bringing together the work of 22 bellydance artists of international fame with the 22 archetypes of the Major Arcana in the Tarot. The brainchild of Shruti Narayanan, the show premiered on YouTube on January 17, 2021 and garnered a whopping 3000 + views from around the world.