Aqua, a collaborative project by Lokeshwari Dasgupta (Kathak exponent), Suramya Pushan Dasgupta (musician and actor) and Magdalena Mannion (a flamenco dancer) was showcased at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity (Anandapur, Eastern Metropolitan Bypass) on January 7. The mixed-media experimental presentation explored the theme of water — the ripples, the flow and its ability to create and destroy, among other aspects. The ebb and flow of movements captured the soul of the production, rendered complete with original music, live pieces and a blend of Flamenco, Kathak and contemporary choreography. The evening also featured performances by dancers Pritha Chatterjee, Abrar Saqeeb, Bedaprana Roy and Olivia Saha. Surangama Dasgupta was the guest of honour.
The Telegraph spoke to Team Aqua — Lokeshwari, Suramya and Magdalena — about the concept and experience of the showcase. Excerpts...
How did you come up with the concept?
We (Lokeshwari and Magdalena) met in 2018 and explored ideas that connect us and we realised it’s water that connects people. It is within us and also has a rhythm. We wanted to break through the stereotypical elements usually associated with our artistic forms. We wanted to explore something softer and an aspect of nature beyond the structured grammar.
What’s the underlying message of Aqua?
Water is something that isn’t separate from human life. It is within us, connects us, moves like us and has a huge influence on our life and being. Water is a metaphor for the journey of life. This project was unique for us as the music, choreography and story were all linear.
What were the challenges of choreographing Aqua?
We have a similar way of working, even though our styles are different. Choreographing it went smoothly. The live music, expressions and dance also developed organically. We used structured improvisations to create some scenes. So, it wasn’t so much of a challenge and has been an interesting exploration for us. The three of us connect and understand each other, the way we think and our methodology is similar. Besides being geographically apart it wasn’t much of an issue to communicate and create Aqua. This is just a pilot and there’s a lot more to add to this production. We met in Madrid (Spain) and shot the teaser as well.
How was the experience of assembling the music?
There was a live component and what we thought of doing was to create wholesome tracks of 30-minute duration and leave spaces for improvisations. It was challenging yes, but equally fun. It was as free as water flows, the transformation and switches between genres. In that sense it was modern, but at the same time paid due respect to its traditional and folk inspirations and influences. The electric guitar was the main component of the pre-recorded part of the track with many layers and a modern soundscape. The sounds became specific characters. The harsh notes denoted the dryness due to the absence of water and the raw folkish sounds stood for its natural flow. The best part was performing live, where there was a lot of improvisation along with the dancers.
How did you decide on the set and costume?
We used minimal props and costumes so that we could speak through our gestures, sound and music. The colour palette was grey and far removed from the usual dance costumes.
What more are you planning to do with Aqua next?
The next step is to develop, hopefully through residency, a performance piece. We are planning to tour with this project in 2025 both in India and Europe. We’re interested in placing Aqua into an educational context in association with environmental and sustainability aspects.
Pictures: Rashbehari Das