As an amalgam of dance forms, Justin
McCarthy’s choreography stretches the parameters
of Indian dance styles without violating their essential
identity. His works, particularly in Bharatanatyam,
include pieces following the framework of the traditional
repertoire. The dance-dramas are based on ancient Tamil
and Sanskrit texts. Solo and ensemble works utilize
the movement vocabulary of Bharatanatyam but are accompanied
by various types of music from around the world. Multi-dimensional
geometry and a playfulness of images mark his style.
The dancers he leads have been trained by him and are
from India as well as other countries.
Justin McCarthy (Delhi) - Amalgam of
Dance Forms - 22 October 2010 (Friday)
Justin McCarthy began studies in Bharatanatyam at the Way of
the Dance School in Berkeley, California. He, later, studied
in Chennai under Subbarayan Pillai before settling in Delhi,
where he learnt for a full decade from Leela Samson at the Shriram
Bharatiya Kala Kendra. For the past twelve years, McCarthy has
led the Bharatanatyam group of the Kendra. This group performs
exclusively McCarthy’s original choreography. As a musician,
he also composes the music for his choreographies.
Presentation
Incorporating Chhau, Kathak and Bharatanatyam, Lokaalokam tells
of a mythical mountain that divides the visible and invisible
worlds. This ensemble dance work explores the multiple but overlapping
visualizations of the physical as well as the spiritual in ancient
Indian thought. Beginning with the notion of sound as the origin
of the universe, the dance traverses the nether regions with
its demons, the earth with its creatures and the skies with
their lofty beings, and finally, reaches a realm of peaceful
equilibrium. With the text providing the conceptual base, the
music to the lyrics in Sanskrit is directly inspired by the
folk traditions of various regions, including of Orissa and
Tamil Nadu.
