My Account- Directed and choreographed by Nova Bhattacharya
Svāhā is an epic pageant of dance, chant, and ritual performed by women. At the heart of the work is choreography by Nova Bhattacharya for 15 Indian classical dancers, sharing the stage with a body-choir of 75 performers from Indian dance training programs.
With the large cast for Svāhā, Nova delves into the integration of classical vocabulary with improvised movement, along with elements of body percussion, vocalisation and transmission that are inherent to Indian dance. A driving, compelling, ceaseless, and loud celebration, Svāhā pays homage to South Asian Canadian women through an offering of joy, faith, and female collectivity, offering the audience an immersion in a visual and sonic experience inspired by rituals of the South Asian diaspora.
Company
Led by Founding Artistic Director Nova Bhattacharya, Nova Dance is a radically imaginative, contemporary dance company dedicated to reflecting the evolution of Indian classical dance on the Canadian scene. Over the past decade, the company has presented a number of critically acclaimed works, initiated a range of projects to enrich artists and audiences, and created a context for South Asian dance artists to take space with their art as a vital part of Canadian society.
Creative team
- Directed and choreographed by Nova Bhattacharya
- Composer and Sound Designer Ed Hanley
- Lighting Designer Marc Parent
- Phase 1 Creation Artists Neena Jayarajan, Meera Krishnanand Kanageswaran, Brandy Leary, Supriya Nayak, Atri Nundy, Nivedha Ramalingam, Sapna Sehravat, Enakshi Sinha, Shrawanti Shome Debroy
- Body Choir Consultant Tedd Robinson
National Creation Fund investment
The National Creation Fund’s investment of $150,000 will give Nova Dance the opportunity to work with a large ensemble of the country’s top Indian classical dancers during an extended workshop and rehearsal period.
Credits
A Nova Dance production, with partnering producer Denise Bolduc, in partnership with The Theatre Centre, and supported by the Canada Council for the Arts. Developed with support from the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund
Performance dates
October 18, 2020: World Premiere, Meridian Hall (Toronto), presented by TO Live - postponed
