ROOH: WITHIN HER Comes To The Lilian Baylis Studio With Pagrav Dance Company This April
Performances run Wednesday 23 – Friday 25 April.
Pagrav Dance Company will present the latest work of visionary choreographer and performer Urja Desai Thakore: her solo khatak piece ROOH: Within Her comes to Sadler's Wells Lilian Baylis Studio from Wednesday 23 – Friday 25 April.
One of the UK's leading kathak dancers, Urja Desai Thakore worked with internationally renowned poet and dramaturg Karthika Nair to explore stories of female bravery and heroism. In creating this work, she took inspiration from legends, folklore and her own family tales.
ROOH means 'essence' in Gujarati. In the piece, Urja Desai Thakore stages the turmoil of a mother — a celebrated figure in ancient Tamil literature — who scours the battlefield in search of her son's body, determined to disprove rumours he died fleeing the enemy. She also embodies Chaaran Kanya, the folk heroine Heerbai as described by renowned Gujarati author Zaverchand Meghani: a young cowherdess and the only one in her village brave enough to drive away a threatening lion.
Through other inspirational figures – some lost in time, others lesser-known – Urja Desai Thakore connects distant past and recent history to individual choices, and celebrates narratives big and small, and their influence on our current and future selves.
Choreographer and Pagrav Dance Company director Urja Desai Thakore talks about these interconnected narratives at play in ROOH: Within her. She said: "ROOH: Within Her continues my exploration of Kathak as a medium for introspection, blending tradition with contemporary narratives of identity and femininity. There is a deep desire to tap into different literature, folklore, and my own family stories, weaving them into movement to uncover hidden voices and personal histories."
The performance is accompanied by four musicians (mridangam, tabla, santoor, flute, vocals, and konnakol) who perform live, and the soundscape weaves voiceovers of Tamil and Gujarati poems, family dialogue, and music composed by renowned musician Alap Desai.
Urja Desai Thakore created Pagrav Dance Company in 2005, which now celebrates 20 years of promoting kathak, revitalising the form with modern contexts while encouraging new thinking and understanding of the discipline.
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