Going Global: Kathak dance & music by Aradhana Arts, Arts at the Old Fire Station 15th July 2022 – Susannah Harris-Wilson reviews

As part of this year’s Offbeat Festival on 15^th July at the Old Fire Station on Oxford’s George Street we were treated to an evening of Kathak dance and music presented as “Going Global”.  The instrumentalists included the amazing tabla player, Master Sanju Sahai, along with violinist Alice Barron, and sitar player and vocalist Debipriya Sircar.  Jaymini Sahai leads the company and is its solo Kathak dancer.  The troupe was sponsored and presented by Aradhana Arts.

The evening began with an introduction by Jaymini Sahai in which she explained that among the eight major Indian dance styles – or forms – Kathak represented best those from the North of the country along with the Panjabi Bhangra.  The famous Bharatanatyam from Tamil Nadu represented those from southern India along with the dramatic Kathakali dance drama form.   Sahai further explained that all Indian dances are a form of storytelling.  And that, under the Mogul’s rule in Northern India, Kathak dance became a dance for the courts of the emperors and was in this way refined in its gestures.

 

Dance in Littlemore presents Dances for Peace and Planet: St Mary & St Nicholas Church Littlemore, 22nd May 2022

Dances for Peace and Planet is a collaboration between Oxford dancers, singers and musicians with St Mary & St Nicholas Church Littlemore, programmed by the church’s Musician in Residence Malcolm Atkins. This diverse programme, reflecting concerns of the current times and responding to the church’s beautiful space, will include performances by Nuzhat Abbas, Susie Crow, Helen Edwards, Jenny Parrott, Andy Solway, Lizzy Spight, Ségolène Tarte and Tingting Burnham Yang, as well as MUE, (dancer Macarena Ortuzar and musician Bruno Guastalla).

Performance: Sunday 22nd May 6.00pm

Venue: St Mary & St Nicholas Church, Cowley Road, ​Littlemore, Oxford OX4 4PP

Tickets: Donations on the door

Find out more about the arts at St Mary & St Nicholas Church here

The development of some work in this programme has been supported through the Oxford Dance Forum programme Creative Labs. Find out about Oxford Dance Forum here

 

CARU presents Body and Music with Késia Decoté, Joëlle Pappas, Bruno Guastalla & Sarah Westwood, OVADA 8th June 2018

Presented at OVADA by the Contemporary Arts Research Unit (CARU) based at Oxford Brookes University, Body and Music is an evening of dance and music where pianist Késia Decoté will be joined by dancer and choreographer Joëlle Pappas, musician and composer Bruno Guastalla and composer Sarah Westwood to bring you pieces inspired by puppetry, myths, visions, and cable cars.

The evening opens with a new trio piece especially devised for this show, with Késia, Joëlle and Bruno. Késia will also be performing  myths & visions (this will be the last chance to see this much loved solo piano + dance show in central Oxford).  The programme also includes Joëlle and Bruno’s Traits, commissioned for this year’s Dancin’ Oxford Festival, and a new work for piano and electronics by Sarah.  See full details of the programme below.