This duet collides classical kathak with contact improvisation to depict a relationship so intimate that it’s not always clear where one person starts and the other ends. Negotiating kathak’s exacting rhythms while shifting between sensual connectedness, weight-sharing, and rough-and-tumble humor, the piece is inspired by French feminist Luce Irigaray’s writings on female subjectivity, in which the boundaries of the self are fluid, in constant relationship to others, and always changing. The piece is accompanied by Paul Livingstone’s original Ragajazz music, which enlivens North Indian classical music with the textures of experimental music and rock.

choreography and performance: Cynthia Lee and Shyamala Moorty
music composition: Paul Livingstone
musicians: sitar, cello, tabla, drumset
Note: The work may be performed with live musicians or recorded music.

photo: Andrei Andreev

photo: Andrei Andreev

photo: Andrei Andreev

photo: Andrei Andreev