Well-known contemporary dancer-choreographer Preethi Athreya premiered ‘The Lost Wax Project,’ a group work inspired from the wax lost in the making of metal sculptures. A cast is made of wax, which melts once molten liquid metal is poured over. Preethi explains: “This process, when translated into space and movement dynamics, dissolves the presence of the body per se, leaving only the space that is sculpted by the body.”
The process of ‘sculpting space’ is further described, ‘Four bodies trace a trajectory of thought within a circular space, moving to feel the negative space around each other as much as the space within the intention to move.’
The jump
The concept of a functional body, as against a ‘body in performance’ has been with Preethi for sometime. Her earlier work, ‘Conditions of Carriage: The Jumping Project,’ grew from a study of everyday movements of the body, and was based on the jumping movement.
‘The Lost Wax...’ felt more conceptual than tangible. It was suggestive of what could be created within the arena, with four well-trained bodies that moved in perfect synchronisation. The effect was stark; the dancers dressed in handwoven khadi cotton, Mandarin-collared short dresses, bare feet and no accessories, looked severe. The movements, in tandem, as a cluster, in pairs or alternating, were rigid and performed with precision. The performing space with 360 degree viewing, was unforgivingly open, the lighting (design by Jeong Hee Kang and adaptation by Dr. T. Balasaravanan) merciless — with spots placed at two levels around the sand pit, one lower in a softer yellow and the one higher, in a harsh white. Technical direction was by Pravin Kannanur.
Abstract work is generally impersonal, so the introduction of a voice (Bhairavi Narayanan), even as a low hum, was startling. It grew louder and became familiar (Varali raga). It seemed like an indulgence, as it was not used as a point of reference. The improvisational segments of Carnatic music (alapana, raga, tanam) were punctuated with pauses and layered with an electronic pulse track (Darbuka Siva), so the end result was unique (editing-Palani). There is a progression in the order of improvisation in the Carnatic style, and this marked the progression in the production.
The most powerful ingredient, however, was the ‘buy-in’ and concentration of the dancers (Avantika Bahl, Dipna Daryanani, Preethi and Sanchita Sharma). The sound track did not offer any beats to follow; cues, if any, were subtle, yet the dancers were in sync. Complimenting the legs, arms, neck, torso and feet movements were the eyes that were as disciplined.
There was an embryonic beginning and end to ‘The Lost Wax...’ with the jerky movements in between suggestive of the making of the wax sculpture or doll. The dancers prepped the stage first, covering the circular rubber mat with white rangoli powder; in the yellow lights and silence, broken only by the low hum, even the simple act of filling the mat, the fall of the powder from the palm to the mat, looked poetic.
Story starts
There followed a moment of stillness with the lights switched off; with the start of the electronic pulse track, the lights came on slowly and the dancers crouched in position around the circle. This was the start of the wax story. The alapana joined in, independent of the pulse track. The dancers, seen in the light and shadows, started with big, broad movements of the legs and torso as they moved to the centre. The head was always down, eyes down, attention inward. The movements were stiff, but felt exploratory as they seemed to try alternatives. Then came the arm movements and later the neck movements in unison, as if looking for something.
About forty minutes into the performance, there was an episode using the principles of trust and contact improvisation as the dancers spun around in pairs holding hands, and after gaining traction from the grainy powder, one of them would fall gracefully. The last one standing was Preethi, who managed the speed and traction on her own, to fall to the floor neatly.
Only well-conditioned bodies could do what they did. The floor work was demanding. The music timed out and the cycle of the low hum began as the dancers made their way back to the start, to the embryonic bend. It is to Preethi’s credit that the abstraction, put together, made a journey.