Kathak artist and Choreographer

Member of International Dance Council CID

Member of One Dance UK

Bhoboghure: moving with time




SYNOPSIS OF THE CHOREOGRAPHY

“In fear that it may be frayed or stained with dust he keeps himself from the world, and is afraid even to move”- Geetanjali, Rabindranath Thakur, 1912. Living with what one hold the best is a very ludicrous zone. Everything changes with time, which is best at some point of time, cannot be the best always. Yet there is a clinching feeling of keeping it unabashed, unstained. It does not matter even if it is an illusion, may be the best has gone but mind keeps on lingering on it. One is stuck with that feeling, with the glory of it, as if a “prisoner of time”. It is an inexplicable feeling, unstoppable and engaging, keeping the mind stuck and heart ravaging it explore it more. The choreography starts with this phase where it explores the different facets of this stage and focuses on the feeling being obscure from others. “Again I am raging, I am in such a state by your soul that every bond you bind, I break, by your soul. My joy is of your doing, my hangover of your thorn. Through wakefulness on night rising, like a spinning mote I am distraught by your soul”- Rumi, Translated by A.J. Arberry, 1991. The choreography attempts to present the visualization of the distraught mind at this stage where different visuals flashes and goes inside the mind. It also presents a visualization of the emotions which makes the illusion a reality inside the mind. However, one has to stop and “Leave this chanting and singing and telling of beads! Whom dost thou worship in this lonely dark corner of a temple with doors all shut? Open thine eyes and see thy God is not before the!” – Geetanjali, Rabindranath Thakur, 1912. How much struggling it is to go outside this. One becomes anxious, bewildered, yet streams of blood rushes inside, agonizing pain crumbles and one wants to move out, but the excruciating pain of leaving that illusion behind still haunts, feels one’s heart with guilt, one denies to accept that it was just an illusion, a mirage, not the TRUTH. Truth has left at a time, time has moved, cannot be reversed. The second part of the choreography is this tussle between the logical mind and the part of mind believing on the illusion as reality. The logical mind knows it is an illusion, but the other part denies it and still willfully lingers inside. This struggle was however necessary as one’s mind wanders through the bygone time as a thirsty traveler knocking at each feeling which had created the illusion, in order to break it and discover the unknown abilities within oneself. “The traveler has to knock at every door to come to his own and one has to wander through all the outer worlds to reach the innermost shrine at the end”- Geetanjali, Rabindranath Thakur, 1991. Only these unknown abilities within oneself have the potential to break this illusion. The need of the hour is to unravel and get the acceptance of the truth and eventually freedom of the mind. The last part of the choreography defines this phase. It drives the feelings towards destroying the illusion by considering this struggle. The fag end of the choreography is moving ahead towards a free and uncluttered mind, like the painting “Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh with immaculately unravels the truth of the cloudless night sky and portrays a sparkling light from the stars.