Arunima Kumar is an award-winning dancer and choreographer. She has performed in over 700 festivals and venues across 35 countries. Trained in the Kuchipudi and Indian classical dance style of South East Asia, here she talks about her work for Gauhar Jaan: The Datia Incident, a play set in 1902 fusing music and dance, inspired by India’s first recording artist Gauhar Jaan.
I’m extremely excited to have been asked to choreograph these dance pieces for the production. A lot of research has gone into the dances, which played an important part in that era, especially in the royal courts and the role of courtesans in depicting this beautiful art form, which was very specific to that particular period in time.
“I’ve translated the glamour and opulence of the palace using flamboyant, majestic and elegant dance movements.”
For one of the main dance scenes in this play, set in the royal court, I’ve translated the glamour and opulence of the palace by using very flamboyant, majestic and elegant dance movements, they’re complex and emotive, using both movement and hand gestures, as opposed to being fast and linear. When choreographing this scene, I imagined the beauty and glamour of the royal courts and the gracefulness of the courtesans entering the palace, but also on a deeper level there’s a complex contradiction going on because, for the courtesans, this was not only a deeply embedded art form and means of communication, but it was also their livelihood, they needed to be alluring and to be able to show their artistry in all its glory. So, there are many elements playing in my mind when I am directing the movements.
I’ve also weaved in Kathak influences (a genre of Indian classical dance which communicates stories through rhythmic foot movements, as well as the use of facial expressions and eye work) in the dances. Even the body speaks and interprets the narrative, so it’s a really beautiful, very deep piece that I’m trying to build together in order to transport the audience to that era, to that moment, and to see and feel what the maharaja would have experienced. The music that writer Tarun Jasani and director Mukul Ahmed picked is quite an enthralling piece to work with.
“The song and the piece of music is so beautiful that I felt I had to do it justice and tell the story in an authentic way.”
The second dance piece, in one of the later acts, depicts Gauhar Jaan in a darker mood, when she is reminiscing about her mother, and feeling pain which has converted into anger, after undergoing some level of deception. So, when I read the script and heard the brief, there was a lot going on, it’s not just a very simple dance piece. I wanted to show the different dimensions and the ‘raag’ (a term used in classical Indian music for a melodic composition) is a stunning ‘sunset raag’, much of the story revolves around this particular ‘raag’. It’s a piece of music which also takes the maharaja back to an uncomfortable memory, so we tried to show all of that through dance. The song and the piece of music is so beautiful that I felt I had to do it justice and tell the story in an authentic way.
The costumes for both pieces are very specific to the era and the styles would have been similar to those worn by courtesans. Sophie Jump, the set and costume designer, provided the references, illustrations and photographs, and the dancers will be dressed as ornately as possible. It seems that Gauhar Jaan never wore the same piece of jewellery twice, so we will need to truly depict that level of opulence and to also understand her as a person. I have integrated bells and anklets in some of the dance pieces to show different emotions, not just to a set rhythm, but to show what that rhythm is really depicting. Dance is such an integral part of this production. The dancers will look fabulous, the brief has been really detailed and together with the wonderful pieces of music, the fusion of both, I hope, will do full justice to the production.
Catch Gauhar Jaan: The Datia Incident at Omnibus Theatre from 10 – 29 April – grab your tickets HERE
