Umeed: Colors of Hope is a unique Kathak production being presented by Sunena Gupta, senior disciple of Guru Mulla Afsar Khan. The shows will be at 2pm and 6pm on 18th August, 2018 at the PGP Hall, Serangoon Road. Tickets can be purchased from www.charkula.com, or by contacting Sunena at sunena.kathak@gmail.com or +65 9818 6360. Here are a few questions that Sunena has answered about her experience with this upcoming production:
- What inspired you to pick Kathak up?
I’ve always found Kathak very distinct from other classical dance forms, as it’s the only North Indian style and can be very innovative. I enjoy how it can performed in a fusion style with flamenco, tap, or other Indian classical dance forms and to this day, I’m still especially intrigued by the fast chakkars(spins) and footwork that cannot be seen in any other dance form.
- What are the goals and aims behind your conceptualization of Umeed:Colors of Hope?
I first came across the idea of “Umeed” when my Guru, Mulla Afsar Khan, had told me many people had “Umeed”, or hope, from me because of the funds that I had been raising for Project Smile through some smaller scale shows. I instantly caught onto that word and remember telling my mum that someday I wanted to name a show “Umeed”. I had always dreamt of creating my own production and of talking about issues like mental health, chronic illness and self-image struggles, but I’d never imagined that I would be able to do both together at the age of 20. So this really feels like living a dream right now.
The main goal of this production is to show people who are struggling with these issues that they are not alone, that there is hope and that they will always have someone to help them if they reach out a hand. My second goal is to show how versatile Kathak and Indian Classical dance can be because I’ve seen a general notion that people perceive classical dance as constrictive so I want to portray how traditional art forms can be used in contemporary concepts. My final goal is to support the charity, Project Smile, because I really strongly believe in the work that they do and from meeting the organizers of the past few years I can tell that each of them work from their hearts.
- What have been the biggest challenges that you have faced with this production, being a student?
Definitely the biggest challenge that I’ve seen during the preparation for this production is the fact that I am also a full-time student. Being my first production, there’s a lot of learning and figuring out to do along the way. Whether it’s sending emails, designing flyers, filming or advertising, they’re all things that come up spontaneously and have to be done instantly. It sometimes feels like having an extra class! Berkeley is a very fast-paced and academically rigorous college so juggling exams and assignments throughout the semester are hard enough as it is and sometimes coming home at the end of the day and having to begin production work can be very exhausting. I don’t think I’ve ever thought of giving up though because when I find it all overwhelming I just remind myself of how important the message of the show is and that I have unending support from my parents and Guru.
- What do you have to say to youngsters who face similar problems to your experiences?
I really strongly believe that the first step to dealing with chronic illness, mental health or self-image struggles is to want to help yourself. I think it’s so important to not just sit and accept that you have these issues but to try to either change them, or in the cases where that isn’t possible, to acknowledge that you can grow from them and still grasp positivity from them.
- What advice would you give to those aspiring to be good Kathak dancers or are studying the particular dance form?
I think Kathak dancers really have to focus on their techniques when learning the basics and when dancing in slow tempos, as only then will the needed control come in fast tempos. I also believe that Kathak is a dance form that you have to fall completely in love with, which isn’t difficult from my perspective, because only then will the audience be able to appreciate your involvement and subsequently see the beauty of the dance from the dancers eyes.
UTSAV BUZZ 