‘Material Men redux’ by Shobana Jeyasingh Dance is a danceperformance in which the shared history and personal stories of the two dancers are told. The performance is danced by Sooraj Subramaniam (classical Indian) and Shailesh Bahoran (hip hop), both of Indian heritage. The men share a family history rooted in colonial India and the dark realities of colonial migration and plantation labour. Both dancers perform in their known dance language, which is very different. In their duets, they dance together in their own way but connect and come together in echoing movements and in physical contact and intimacy.
The lighting design follows the journey from the roots, via the fading memories, to the passing present day. This happens especially in color. The orange color of Indian sarees served as inspiration for the first section, while the memory is shaped by veiled cold white fluorescent light. The letters from the plantation owners, which are read by a voice-over are accompanied by harsh white light that shines into the audience. The last light movement is a thin line of light that scans over the dancers and moves slowly back into the audience and then fades out.
Credits:
Concept, Choreography & Direction: Shobana Jeyasingh
Composer: Elena Kats-Chernin
Set, Costume & Video Designer: Simon Daw
Lighting Designer: Floriaan Ganzevoort
Electronic Music: Leafcutter John
Live Music: The Smith Quartet
Production Manager: Sander Loonen
Dancers: Shailesh Bahoran, Sooraj Subramaniam