Voices of Folk by Chaina & Rakesh
“Mujhe bachpan se hi dance karne ka bahut shauk tha…”
“Jab tak mere paer chalenge main tab tak dance karungi…”
“Papa se chup chup kar jaata tha….”
Diluting the wall between the artists and their art, this evening presents Meena Community dancers Chaina and Rakesh in their pre-performance space. Theatrical intervention tools make use of their voices as the narrative to which they let their guard down, allowing the viewer to walk with them as they unveil their stories and veil their bodies.
Voices of Folk is a project close to our hearts. Working with folk forms in contemporary settings is something we have always been curious about. How do we make the folk relevant in today's times? How can their story trancend the form? How can we direct folk artists in studio settings under spotlights and stage cues?
Performed by Chaina Meena & Rakesh Meena, Voices of Folk tells the story of Meena community dancers and their story of becoming cross dancers. The performance explores the ideas of identity, gender fluidity, roles, society, community and family as two male bodies transform into female dancers; undressing and dressing on stage. The performance is stripped off their usual music and instead their story narrated in their own voices navigate us through their lives in the villages and places they come from.
made with love
Concept and Direction by Shreeya Kishanpuria and Kamakshi Saxena
Sound editing by Gautam Gupta
Curated by Supriya
In collaboration with Jaipur Virasat Foundation
Photos by Anshul