Dec. 04, 2007 - Issue #633: New Music Model

Gupta explores classical dance the modern way

‘I’m a very free person,” says Usha Gupta. “If there’s something in Canadian culture that I like, I incorporate that into my own work. When you go to the market, you are going to buy the very best thing. And people in India, they buy the things that are best, what is most beautiful.”

Gupta is Edmonton’s classical Indian dance guru, a woman who unites two diverse cultures by finding common ground between the traditional and contemporary music and dance of vastly different continents.

She says that classical Indian and Canadian modern dance have complementary elements which allow the two forms to merge effortlessly: namely, they both use gravity in a similar manner. This allows her to mix styles, incorporating the hand gestures or mudras from the Indian technique to help tell contemporary stories without the limitations found in the traditional style, which was once limited to Hindu mythology.

For her new work, Nari ... nari ... nari—my love, Gupta has further stirred up the mix by adding movement from martial arts, and has brought performer Madhu Nataraj, an expert in all three techniques, directly from India.

Joining Nataraj on stage are three other dancers: local modern dancer Tamara Bliss, Riya Alika Mittal—Gupta’s 12-year-old granddaughter, making her professional debut—and Gupta herself, who performs not only dance, but joins the live music ensemble onstage. Gupta is trained in classical Indian music, and narrates and sings with composer Praveen D Rao, who also came from India for the show. He’s created a work that blends eastern and western music. The ensemble includes local musician John Calverley on violin. As a source of inspiration for the new work, Gupta continued her exploration into different cultures by turning to Buddhism to help formulate ideas about developing the choreography. A ten-day meditation, called vipassana, is an ancient technique that transforms its devotees through intense introspection and insight. “It was difficult, very, very difficult, but I made it through,” she says of the silent retreat she attended last year in Vancouver.

“You are absolutely, completely isolated from the world,” she says, laughing almost as if she’d survived a car crash. Participants weren’t allowed to talk, or read, write or listen to music. Even food and exercise were minimal.

It takes about four days of painful adjustment, and Gupta says that’s when she and other participants started to feel better.

“Then, I must say that I started feeling nice—very, very, nice,” Gupta explains. “Oh my God, no phone, no nothing—no disturbances!”
With that sense of freedom, Gupta focused on formulating ideas for her new work. Nari ... nari ... nari—my love looks at how women find peace and tranquility throughout different phases of love and motherhood, from the powerful experience of childbirth to the time after children have left home to live their own lives.

After making its world premiere in Edmonton, Gupta and her entourage will be taking the show on a tour of India. V

Thu, Dec 6 - Fri, Dec 7 (8 pm)
Nari ... nari ... nari—my love
Presented by Usha Dance Entourage
John L Haar Theatre (10045 - 156 St),
$15/$25

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