The lockdown wasn’t going to stop us from performing this piece live, the creation which we started in February of 2019! However, new babies would 😆 Both choreographer/dancers Katie Ryan and Elena Castalano found out they were pregnant so our vision for a live performance shifted to a film.
Songs of the Heart has been a beautiful journey of discovering and uniting East and West through music and dance, story and song.
Katie and Elena both had a clear vision for the narrative, which guided the elements of both music and dance. We brought Baroque sensibilities, ie. Purcell alongside raga alapanas, to fulfil Katie’s vision of juxtaposing the story of Dido and Aeneas with Krishna and Radha from the Geetha Govinda. Elena depicted the Greek mythological story of Ariadne, and the music was less rooted in existing pieces and more an exploration of how to create the mystery of forest adventures, inner longing and spiritual awakening, reflecting her movements in the moment.
The small musical team brought versatility individually whilst together creating a unique and interesting texture and timbre: Kaviraj Singh - santoor and vocals, Fiona Hymns - soprano, Gurdain Rayatt - tabla, and (of course) me - violin and musical direction.
Art evolves in the context of a spectator. Although we didn’t have the chance to perform or tour the piece, we do hope that the process of sharing this video will serve as a stepping stone in the creative process. Do watch here and feel free to comment!
