Interview: Artistic Director Achinta S. McDaniel of Blue13 Dance Company at The Wallis, May 12-13

Los Angeles-based Blue13 Dance Company has been performing internationally for over 20 years, with their highly energetic modern dance style inspired by a variety of art forms native to the Indian subcontinent. On May 12-13, Blue 13 will be presenting a selection of five dances: 1947 which addresses the effects of the India-Pakistan partition; excerpts from Shaadi featuring Bollywood and Bhangra dance (previously presented locally at Heritage Square in 2019); Dear Mr. Khan, a piece challenging gender norms and impossible ideals set forth for Asian American women; Restless autumn. restless spring which examines what it means for artists to share experiences and create work together during which the audience will be invited to participate; and Sounds Like a Whoop. Looks Like a Flash., a work in progress exploring invisible disability and addiction.

I decided to speak with Blue 13's Artistic director, Achinta S. McDaniel (pictured) about her vision for these selections, especially how she plans to invite the audience to participate immersively and plans to address the current hot topics of invisible disability and addiction.

Thank you, Achinta, for taking time to speak with me today about Blue13's upcoming appearance at The Wallis on May 12-13.

How was the group brought into existence 20 years ago?

I founded Blue13 when I was very young, in part in response to the dearth of Indian women in leadership roles in professional dance. No one looked like, sounded like, or had experiences like me. No choreographers were making work for South Asian dancers, and none of what I grappled with as a child of immigrant parents was being explored in a visible way in the performing arts. I felt a calling to make my experience seen, and to change the field. My experience in ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary dance since childhood collided with my socio-familial experiences with Hindi film (or "Bollywood") and Bhangra dance, but remained very separate. My classical Indian Kathak training as a young adult was the spark that ignited the first iterations of Blue13: making contemporary work that I dubbed "Neo-Kathak" back then, rhythmic and feminist. I refused to obey the expectations the world had about me as an Indian woman and what my work had to look like. So, I grabbed some friends, and my sisters at SAWCC (South Asian Women's Creative Collective) gave us the platform to make my first work. It was called "F-*k Fusion."

Why the name Blue13 Dance Company?

My mother is my muse and inspiration. Her nickname means "blue" in Hindi/Punjabi. I have always been obsessed with the color. Thirteen is "thera" in Punjabi, which also means "yours." If we have a gift as dancers, we must give it. Everything I make with Blue13 is for you.

Why is its purpose of representing the South Asian culture and women so important to you?

Our purpose is actually to work to make a change in the perception and practice of American dance. South Asian Americans are often invisible or erased in the performing arts. We are tokenized and stereotypes of what Indian dancers "should" look like continue to marginalize us. For example, my counterparts are expected to experiment in contemporary dance, but as a South Asian woman I am supposed to fit a monolith, dance only classical Indian dance, or only Bollywood. It is important for Blue13 to unveil our multiplicity as dancers of the global majority. My work provokes and pushes boundaries and genres. It reflects being bicultural, first generation: it celebrates my Indian roots and rebels against the monolith. It is comprised of rhythm and mudras and Bollywood and contemporary. American contemporary dance cannot solely be equated with Eurocentric dance. We are American. This is American dance.

Shreya Patel and Correa. Photo courtesy of Redcat

Since the group promotes outreach and education through storytelling, do they ever stage flash mobs or other impromptu social events?

Great question! We have done several flash mobs over the years, and we love to get creative with pop ups and other types of social, community accessible activations. One that I love is our Covid-era created Dancergram: dancers show up at a front door of a house and surprise its occupants with a performance on the lawn, or at a museum, etc. We also love our annual Bollywood Dance DTLA at the Music Center. This year that takes place in August.

Where have you found the most enthusiastic audiences for Blue 13 performances?

Our audiences are so diverse and effusive - we love them. I think the most enthusiastic are usually our high school and college audiences, who are not shy with their "woo hoos." Our Wallis audience, this May, however, has a unique opportunity to take over the most enthusiastic title. We are releasing tutorials for the audience members to learn our curtain call dance, set to "Punjabi Wedding Song." The audience will have a chance to stand up and join the dancing at the end of the show!

Omar Canedo and Ali Carreras. Photo by D. Valentine

Let's talk about some of the dances in your show at the Wallis. In what ways has being a first-generation South Asian woman affected the presentation of Dear Mr. Khan?

I was inspired to create the work years ago after reading a problematic article with famed South Asian choreographer Akram Khan who intimated that women choreographers shouldn't be hired just because they are women. It was a ridiculous statement; one I hope he regrets. Our field is overrun with male leadership. It is time for the voices of women in all of our intersectional identities to be heard. Dear Mr. Khan speaks to this, particularly leaning into the expected role of the "good Asian woman," often fetishized and forced into submissive confines. The piece also remarks on Victorianism, and challenges the norms and impossible ideals set forth for South Asian American women.

Shreya Patel in Restless. Photo courtesy of Redcat

How will the audience be invited to get involved immersively during Restless autumn, restless spring.?

This piece opens the show, and in it we invite the audience to write statements and words on the stage floor in chalk that we provide. It is a way for the community to become a part of the artmaking and to literally set the stage for our performance. Before entering the house, we will have some conversation and prompts in the lobby to help fuel the writing.

How will the hot topics of invisible disabilities and addiction be explored through dance in Sounds Like a Whoop. Looks Like a Flash., and how was the piece's title selected?

Told through dance theatre, a cheerful dinner party on the surface (looks like flash) covers up the reality of a child struggling with addiction, and another family member dealing with a secret disease. The family must keep up appearances, but suffers behind closed doors. I chose this title about a decade ago, before I knew what the piece would be! I was waiting for an elevator at a hotel and on the emergency fire alarm sign it said "Fire Alarm: Sounds like whoop. Looks like flash." I've let it simmer for 10 years and when my lighting designer Brandon Baruch had an incredibly cool idea (you'll have to come and see it), I knew it was time to make the piece. This is currently in progress, so this is a chance exclusively for our Wallis audience to see a preview of the work in its development phase.

Blue13 Dance Company members. Photo by Kevin Parry

With such diverse offerings, how do you find dancers for Blue13?

We hold auditions annually for professional dancers. I am also lucky to have students of mine from the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance participate as company members in multiple engagements.

Are there musicians onstage for performances and rehearsals?

This year we will not have live musicians; however we are proud to be dancing to original compositions by Ryan Lott (Sounds Like Whoop) and Paul Livingstone (Mr. Khan).

What do you hope audiences will walk away talking about after The Wallis production?

I'd like to take audiences on an emotional journey with us, with highs and lows, excitement and curiosity. I want to provoke audiences to rethink possible associations they have about an Indian dancemaker, and about American concert dance. I hope they will learn something about the multiplicity of South Asian American artistic expression. And more than anything, I hope to spark discourse between audience members about the themes of the works after the curtain closes.

Is there anything else you would like to share about it?

We're excited to return to the Wallis after three long years. It is nice to be together with our community after having gone through so much. Time to celebrate!

The Wallis Presents Blue13 Dance Company on Friday, May 12, 2023 at 7:30pm and Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 7:30pm in Bram Goldsmith Theater, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 9390 N Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Tickets: $29 - $79 available at The Wallis box office or online at https://thewallis.org/Blue13

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