This weekend, eight senior performers in their sixties will revisit their love for dance and movement at a multimedia showcase
(Top, from left) Manuella Cardoso, Francis Dsa Cardoso, Venkateswaran Akileswaran; (middle, from left) Sunila Ashok, Saraswati Devdas, Faredoon Dodo Bhujwala; (bottom, from left) Venkatesh Iyer, Avantika Bahl, Jhelum Paranjape
When we’re told city-based choreographer Avantika Bahl is assembling a dance troupe of ’60-plus dancers’, we’re naturally a tad concerned if there are any stages in the city that could accommodate that many performers. “That’s how unusual it is to hear of performers above the age of 60 taking a full stage performance head on,” she clarifies with a chuckle. “The performance was born out of the question, what happens when a dancer ages? Why do we stop seeing them on stage once they’re past their so-called ‘prime’?” the choreographer reveals.
After reaching out to senior performers whom she had seen in performance before, and urging them to rekindle their love for dance, Bahl finally had her dream team — the first eight who dared to take her up on it. The performers, including Odissi exponent Jhelum Paranjape, actor and dancer Faredoon Bhujwala, as well as dancer-performers Francis Cardoso, Manuella Cardoso, Saraswati Devdas, Sunila Ashok, Venkateswaran Akileswaran, and Venkatesh Iyer have been converging at an Andheri studio for the past nine months to rehearse their big presentation, Prime.
The eight-member team rehearses at an Andheri studio. PICS COURTESY/AVANTIKA BAHL
Make no mistake; these are not your usual old timers twisting or slow-dancing under the spotlight. “The routine is very physical and movement-centred at its core,” Bahl says. A glimpse of the rehearsal where 67-year-old Venkateswaran aka Venky aces a finishing pose with his troupe mates holding him up in the air leaves no room for doubt. “It’s the best rehearsal room I’ve been in. The group has become the best of friends in these nine months. They’ve gone out shopping, for dinners, and much more. It’s heartwarming to see that,” Bahl shares.
Seniors say
“Although I’m a retired professional, a woman’s day is never free of demands. Balancing household commitments and rehearsal was a task,” says 60-year-old Manuella Cardoso. A task worth the effort, nevertheless. “Watching the show come together was one of the most fulfilling life experiences,” she adds. Cardoso might have had some extra incentive; we learn of long chai and coffee breaks between rehearsals that served as bonding sessions. “A tad too long for the boss?” we ask Bahl. “In fact, I think it was these sessions that really brought the show together!” she remarks.
Installations inspired by members of the group
Sunila Ashok, a 62-year-old dancer whose Instagram reels could give your favourite influencer a run for their money, recalls a struggle that’s all too relatable. “I live in Thane and we rehearsed in Andheri. With the way the roads are dug up, and the erratic rains, making the trek every day at 7 am, remains my highlight,” she laughs. “Knowing that we were doing what we love was the biggest motivator,” chimes in doctor-turned-dancer Venky.
Guess who?
While the group rehearsed, they had more than a few eyes on them. Rupali Gupte and Prasad Shetty, an architect-artist-urbanist duo, have crafted eight installations, each drawing from the mannerisms of one group member “We attended several rehearsals. Both Prasad and I were struck by their personalities, the child-like energy and their peculiar idiosyncrasies. At the show, the audience may feel free to touch, interact, and reshape these installations,” Gupte reveals. The only kicker — the exhibits will remain untitled — leaving the audiences to join the dots.
Prasad Shetty and Rupali Gupte
Accompanying the duo will be a documentary film that chronicles the group’s nine-month-long journey shot by filmmaker Sruti Visweswaran. “Ageing is extremely personal. Instead of being passive spectators, we want the visitors to engage all their senses to experience these stories, and through them, their own,” shares Bahl.
With the Mumbai premiere this weekend, the group has only just begun a long artistic journey. Bahl wishes to take the show to stages across the city and unconventional spaces. The choreographer reveals, “Spaces like old age homes might benefit from a performance that reminds them that age is indeed just a number. We’re also planning to take it to schools across the city.” The crew will be more than happy, we’re sure; for old times’ sake.
ON September 20 and 21; 7 pm
AT IFBE, 10-12, Calicut Road, Ballard Estate, Fort.
LOG ON TO altshows.com
ENTRY Rs 600
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