Dancing with dice

It is the desire to experiment with spaces that led renowned Kathak danseuse Shama Bhate to conceptualise her latest passion project, Chaturang ki Chaupal.

The show, which will be performed for the first time in Mumbai, will recreate the ancient game of ludo, also known as chaupal, on stage by employing Kathak and Hindustani classical music. "The idea has been with me for the last two decades," says Bhate. She explains that usually, when a dance is performed on a proscenium stage, the audience sits in front. "But, I have been trying to imagine a choreography where the stage is in the centre, and the audience is sitting all around. When I was mulling on this, chaupal came to my mind."

Shama Bhate

What interested Bhate about the game, was is its very specific use of space. "I am fascinated with spaces. I like to put my dance in different spaces and to try to look at it from different angles and perceptions," she says.

Working on a stage that was created to look like a chaupal bought with it, its own set of challenges. "I had to design my dance in such a way that it had to make sense from every angle," says Bhate.

Chaturang is an old and rare form of Indian classical music that represents any raag in totality. In this particular composition, there are four different chaturangs from four different raagas - Yaman, Jaijaywanti, Adana, and Bhairavi. "Since chaupal is a game of dice, I have made my 12 dancers take on this role. But, they don't have control over the game, it is the players who do. In this particular, piece, raagas take on that role control the dance movement. The four chaturangs compete with each other, challenge each other, repartee with each other and playfully proceed to form a union," says Bhate.

Where: Experimental Theatre: NCPA, Nariman Point
When: 6.30 PM
Entry: Rs 400
To book: in.bookmyshow.com

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