Vertical limits

Aerial dance choreography comes to Delhi for the first time.

We often hear artistes say that they want to take their art form to another level. The truth, however, is that very few of them manage to actually do it. Project Bandaloop is among the few who have taken dance to another level with their gravity defying aerial dance choreography which is a mixture of dance, sport, ritual and environmental awareness. In India on their second tour, the group will perform in Delhi and Hyderabad.

Founded in 1991 by Amelia Rudolph, Project Bandaloop performs both in natural as well as urban settings. Rudolph, who studied at Woodstock School in Mussoorie, is a dancer trained in Kathak, Odissi and Bharatanatyam. Considering her Indian connection, it is surprising that the group is coming to the country for only the second time. Bringing them to the country is Seher, in cooperation with Delhi Tourism. “Their performance will leave the audience spellbound," says Sanjeev Bhargava, founder and creative director, Seher.

The group performs in Hyderabad today at the Golconda Fort. They will come to Delhi on November 26 and perform against the backdrop of the LIC Building in Connaught Place. Seven to eight dancers will perform acts such a ‘Triple Dress’ and ‘Flags’, which are ‘inverted’ duets in various combinations. “The idea is to challenge the expected relationship between movement and gravity,” says Rudolph. The group are quite excited about performing in the country. They actually fuse mountaineering techniques like climbing and rappelling with dance movements. That is what you call taking art to another level.

(Project Bandaloop performs at LIC Building, Connaught Place on November 26. Entry is free)