The Cultch and Diwali Fest Presents SUNYA This Week

The Cultch and Diwali Fest have partnered to present Sunya, a celebratory and spiritual journey merging contemporary dance, music of Persian inspiration, and interactive real time video.

Guided by the Indo-Armenian dancer and choreographer, Roger Sinha, and Iranian-born gatherer of musical pearls, Kiya Tabassian, four dancers, three musicians, a sound designer, and a video artist break boundaries to create a truly unique artistic experience.

Every sound stems from a gesture, but in an abyss of silence, can movement take place? Every expression is based on a memory, but when memory is plural, how does it resonate? What happens when two artists, a choreographer and a composer, each at the crossroads of cultures, join forces? Starting from both nothing and everything they are made of?

Sunya refers to this fundamental paradox of being, of language, of movement - the movement of exile, the movement of art-hybridization.

Diwali Fest's Rohit Chokhani and Vineeta Minhas are pleased to partner with The Cultch to copresent Sunya. "This is a true reflection of the cultural diversity of our city," says Diwali Fest co-producer Chokhani. "Music, dance, and fusion art forms have always been at the heart of our festival's artistic programming. In Sunya, we have a truly unique artistic experience through Indo-Armenian choreography and dance with Iranian musical pearls. This is the true representation of the colour, flavours, and spice of Diwali."

"Sunya is a fusion of cultures, genres, and artist impulses," says Heather Redfern, Executive Director of The Cultch. "The musicians and dancers riff off each other, creating an intense and dynamic physical and musical dialogue. The staging is beautiful, featuring vivid colours and patterns created with lights, movement, and sound. Sunya is a feast for all of the senses. It takes you to a place of great spirit."