Arpan – Jaivant Patel Dance
Review by Iona.
“A charming snapshot of the medley of talents”
Recently, I had the privilege of attending a sublime evening of South Asian dance with live music – Arpan, at the Lichfield Festival, on 11th July 2022. Presented by the award-winning, international Jaivant Patel Dance (with guest artists and collaborators), the diverse, inclusive company made an incomparable effort at curating a pleasant experience — the first of its kind in the history of the festival, in its 40th anniversary year.
Admittedly, on that sultry July evening, as I took my seat against the backdrop of the beautiful stained-glass window at The Hub of St Mary’s Church, I became rather reflective. The beauty of witnessing Indian classical art forms, performed by vocalists who originated from various parts of South Asia (India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan), as well as a white tabla cum santoor player; all performing in an English church, was such a charming snapshot of the medley of talents we had the pleasure of engaging with. I had never watched a dance recital of this kind: Kathak. It is one of the major Indian classical dance forms, with origins traditionally attributed to the travelling bards of ancient northern Indian known as Kathakars or storytellers. Despite this, I was immediately impressed by the visual representation of storytelling and diversity, a value which I knew Patel (Associate Artist of the Arena Theatre, Midlands Art Centre and Kala Sangam and Member, Board of Directors Dance4 and the Midlands Area Council for Arts Council England) himself is a celebrated exponent and huge advocate for.
Being South Asian myself, I am aware of the stigma and discomfort surrounding the LGBTQ+ community, which is unfortunately rife. It goes without saying that the harmful integration of this attitude within our culture requires immediate action. It is here that the gradual metamorphosis of South Asian arts, catalysed by creatives like Patel, who act as the intersectional bridge between these two minorities, is refreshing and novel. Patel prides himself as a creator of “universal work”, through the “assimilation and blending of Kathak and contemporary dance” and has been acclaimed for how he “critiques tradition through reinvention”. This was a sentiment which I felt was made astoundingly clear throughout the performances of the evening and is a concept deserving of praise, in its contribution to the resonance of South Asian queer narratives. Not many artists of this generation tackle seemingly indestructible notions with imaginative expression.
“The evening left me feeling enriched and in awe of the sheer creativity I had witnessed.”
Structurally, Arpan presented extracts of past and current works, rooted both in intercultural narratives and celebrating the intersectionality of our modern lived experiences. I felt the performances were handled with thoughtful and perceptive curation, drawing equal focus to both the dance and music, yet allowing each art form to bask in the spotlight individually. This evident dexterity was impressive, as it allowed the audience to have autonomy over shifting focus between the two forms of Indian singing (North Indian Hindustani and South Indian Carnatic), both of which were presented by equally talented world-class classical Indian artists. Sanyogita Kumari ji’s mellifluous alap in Raag Ahir Bhairav was followed by two compositions in Raag (melodic improvisations set to a collection of pitches) Kalavati set in Teen Tal (beat). She started with Piya na hi aye and went on to render Kahe tarsaye jiyara.
This was followed by the famous thumri (light romantic song) Mohe Panghat Pe Nand Lal ched gayo re from the very popular yesteryear Bollywood movie Mughal-E-Azam. The controlled fluidity of Jaivant’s dance, joined by a hand-picked group of musicians (on the flute, santoor, tabla and harmonium) to this rendition, further enhanced the visual depiction of the lyrics, making the performance multifaceted. Towards the latter part of the programme, Sanyogita Ji also presented More Saiyan to hain pardes and a Meerabai bhajan (devotional song) Koi kahio re in Raag Des. Babar Hussain ji, hailing originally from Pakistan, sang the famous qawali (a style of Muslim devotional music particularly associated with the Sufi’s), Nit khair manga sonia mai teri and Ankhiyan udikdiyan dil vajan marda, showing great skill and depth. The devotional kirtan Bho Shambho in Raag Revati (Tal Adi) by Yadav Yadavan ji was a performance I felt captivated listeners with a world crafted by subtlety and ornamentation.
Something I appreciated greatly since it is uncommon was the accessible nature of the recital. It is evident that Patel’s ethos of inclusivity extends far beyond the stories he portrays and those he works with. He genuinely makes a real effort to engage wholly with the audience. Whether this was through the informative Q&A that followed at the end of the performance, or the brief introduction before each segment that allowed all to interact equally. This was a quality which I particularly admired. The evening left me feeling enriched and in awe of the sheer creativity I had witnessed. What made this one perfect was that the audience packed a full house!
Thank you to the Lichfield Festival’s Young Critic scheme, which meant I could attend this programme, and even write for it. This is my third year writing for the festival and I would undoubtedly love to attend similar events in the future. After all, it’s my generation next, who needs to keep our culture alive and kicking!
You can learn more about Jaivant Patel Dance here: https://www.jaivantpateldance.com/
Want to read more Young Critic Reviews from 2022’s festival? Check them out here:
Emily’s Review of Dyad Productions’ A Room Of One’s Own: https://lichfieldfestival.org/young-critics-review/young-critic-review-a-room-of-ones-own/