On the expansive rooftop of the century-old Park Mansion, against the backdrop of globular golden domes etched on an illuminated Calcutta skyline, (La)Horde’s To Da Bone gave expression to youth rebellion. Presented on the opening night of the Calcutta chapter of the 10th edition of Interface, a three-day dance festival recently presented by the Sapphire Creations Dance Company, the work was enthralling and extraordinarily potent. Using the iconography of jumpstyle and social media-driven dance, it examined the textures and the preoccupations of TikTok-style movements in the digital age.

Challenging the traditional roles of performer and spectator, the dancers emerged from within the audience ranged around unsurely and rather formlessly on the terrace. La(Horde) seemed to “speak for” the entire group of people in its intense exploration of rebellion. In the experiment with form and representation, the dancers responded to the varied levels, arches, doorways and architectural idiosyncrasies of the site, beefing up their forceful, vivid and passionate argument for rebellion with fierce articulation.

(La)Horde’s non-hierarchical approach was visible as the eight powerful male and female dancers submitted to the demanding discipline of what they like to term “post-internet dance”. There was great precision in their movements as they strolled into empty circles, described by pushing the audiences back, broke out into ones and twos or came together in an incredible burst of energy, raising a storm with their primal stomping and athletic elegance.

In the very engaging exploration of protest, there was a collective force that made instant connections. Their use of space was so skilful that one had to constantly shift focus and pay attention to multiple directions and heights, often catching up well after the action had already begun. There was a constant flow among the dancers that made one think of political unrest, with people repetitively moving away and coming close, giving a sense of unified movement. The work shouted its purpose with great angst and grace. The opening act of the 10th edition of Interface was indeed a memorable one.