We went to visit our members Rhythmosaic Dance Company and observed them working on an exciting project with students from Leeds Beckett. Watch the full interview to see how the students and Rythmosaic work collaboratively to choreograph 'Conversing with the Crow'.
Rhythmosaic Dance Company is the brainchild of dancer-choreographer Dr. Mitul Sengupta and Researcher-choreographer Shambik Ghose. The company brings a multicultural and dynamic perspective to the artistic sphere that is born out of differences in experiences and diverse creative cultures. Rhythmosaic exemplifies delicate fusion/hybridization between traditional classical Indian dance with contemporary movement and artistic aesthetics around the world in an attempt to be presented in high-quality settings that have relevance to multicultural audiences around the globe. The company's artistic vision and choreographic research practice draw on Mitul and Shambik's cultural background blended with contemporary dance and subject matters that speak vividly to diverse contemporary audiences.
Choreographing 'Conversing with the Crow' allowed me to meet artists, dancers, and performers hailing from eclectic strands of life. The artists and their diverse experiences enhanced my choreographic imagination to visualize moments in time that are assertive at the same time, empathetic. The theme of the project was dark and sombre. However, I learned how a collective voice of artists with honest intentions can be guided to generate a transformative space of creative marvel espoused in experiences so diverse and delicate. During the creation, several moments of artistic insight emerged. I learned what needs to be preserved, and nurtured, and at the same time must be allowed to depart, re-locate, and re-emerge.
The reactions of the students were diverse. Some of them were overwhelmed, some got emotionally stimulated, and some found solace through the work. One of the dancers stated that she learned the choreography not through steps or learning dance movements but by experiencing the lived moment and embodying the emotions the theme conjured and what the choreographer conceptually guided. I am happy that my artistic approach has motivated them in some way or the other. The transformation was visible.
Rhythmosaic is a dance company that believes in the transformative power of dance and what marvel it can bring to one's life. Rhythmosaic through its artistic commitments is constantly pushing the boundaries of creative excellence by exploring ways that re-visits and re-imagines established systems of knowledge. Rhythmosaic supports collaborative community work and believes in the impact it brings to artistic society and its development.
Rhythmosaic is busy setting out its activity through outreach programmes in schools, Universities, and communities in Leeds and West Yorkshire. Rhythmosaic is active with its establishment in India. Currently, the company is gearing up for the further development and touring of the project Conversing with the Crow in association with Yorkshire Dance, Kala Sangam, and Leeds Beckett University. Rhythmosaic is constantly looking out for imaginative artistic collaborations and conversations with creative institutions across the globe.
Watch the full interview here: