Memories as muse

BENGALURU : The pandemic may have played out differently in different countries but it has had universal effects on everyone in terms of the loss people have gone through, or the yearning experienced for carefree times again. Playing along similar emotions are four dancers, including Diya Naidu, who are going to perform at Courtyard Community Cafe on Nov. 20. 

The new piece is called Ceremony of Longing, which they will perform for the first time in front of a live audience after lockdown. The number of viewers is being limited to 20 people. Naidu, who has choreographed the piece, calls the experience of going back to the stage “nerve wracking and emotional”. She says, “We have been doing online shows and now, going back on stage is a different feeling. It does not matter if there are 20 people in the audience or 1,000.

The moment they set their eyes on you, that piece automatically becomes a performance.” Naidu, who has been dancing professionally for 20 years, calls this performance a reunion with her audience and stage. “It’s similar to someone in a long-distance relationship, who finally gets to marry their partner after being apart,” she says. Stories of what people went through during this pandemic will play muse to this performance. “People got a lot of time to spend with themselves, which brought back many memories from their lives. We have called in for stories from people, which we are going to showcase at the event,” she adds.

Naidu believes everyone, irrespective of financial or social status, is longing to have something back in their lives. “Whether it’s to travel or to just walk without a mask, everyone has some desire waiting to be fulfilled. Through our performance, we also want to show a mirror to the audience about their desires,” explains Naidu. The performance will be at The Courtyard on Nov 20. Visit instamojo for tickets.