Duende is a Spanish word which translates as “the mysterious power of art to deeply move a person.” This triple bill contemporary dance theatre performance by a Chennai-based all-girl dance ensemble is sure to leave you mesmerised. High Kicks, the ensemble, is headed by dancer Aparnaa Nagesh who left commercial performances behind in order to find a more meaningful platform to pursue dance as an artform. Dancer and choreographer of Duende, Aparnaa adds, “Telling stories, having conversations, sharing ideas and thoughts and healthy debate and discussion have always been a huge part of my life. For me personally, art truly is a reflection of life. It can be through fantasies, it can be raw and real, or it can be both.”
Duende is her sixth production with her ensemble High Kicks and she feels that it has been one of the most soul satisfying. Talking about its uniqueness, she adds, “I think the uniqueness lies in the fact that the three topics we are covering in this particular combination have never been done before. The performers have reached within, and used personal experiences to perform. Therefore, each one of them have something unique to contribute to this show.” Duende consists of three powerful acts —Depaysement, White Noise and Her Story. Explaining further, she says, “Depaysment is about a refugee who is forced to flee his home country and the things they must go through. White Noise talks about all the noise we can create without listening to it. Her Story features a few women who have largely been ignored by history.” She feels that the audience can expect loads of good dancing, spoken word, a little knowledge with a dash of awareness and a feeling that inspires or connects them in some way.
A still from their previous performance
Lavanya Shankar, one of the lead dancers says, “In Bengaluru, people are more open to such dance formats while in Chennai, they are still a little apprehensive about watching contemporary performances. Bengalureans are also more open to people from different cities who put up unique performances. They are open to receiving or watching new things.”
Ragini Pillai has been a part of the group but this will be the first that she will in an entire show. Ragini says, “In the first story, I am one of the refugees who has lost her homeland, in White Noise, there are a lot of us who are playing voices in the head of people. I play one of the voices in the protagonist’s head and how that voice gets manipulated. In Her Story, I play the character of Nangeli, a woman who protested against the Breast Tax in Kerala imposed by the Royals.” Duende has had four shows in the city in the past as well as at other venues across Chennai. With a house full at every show, Duende has managed to strike an emotional connect with the people. It has also managed to inspire people to volunteer with research facilities and various other organisations.
Catch the performance in the city at the Jagriti Theatre on August 4 and 5.
