Selcouth was not your ordinary dance performance and really blew us away. It left me wishing I had worked out more and done more dancing when I was younger. It also reinforced my decision to be a vegetarian. This last one may seem like a strange reaction to a dance performance but that’s what Shiamak Davar created with his choreography and production. He told a story about violence against animals, women and ultimately all of humanity.
The performers were made to look identical, which I interpreted as “blank slates.” Both men and women performers were bald headed in simple off-white natural clothing, allowing each to play the role of either man or woman. The music selection was amazing and by the end we all wanted to take the soundtrack home. Some of the songs we recognized included Jiya Lage Na, a Rangeela remix with Kanye West’s Love Lockdown and a contemporary Kathak Tatkar fusion for the finale.
Each piece of the performance came together magically to tell Shiamak’s story and relay his message. I can’t emphasize enough how impressive the dancers were. Their level of skill, dedication, and strength was clear in all of their movements. They ran, jumped, dove, lifted and carried each other, moving with total ease and grace. I felt sore just watching them! 😉
Towards the end of the dance performance Shiamak paused for a video presentation. The video was there to help us understand his message. The message was very clear – maybe a little too clear for the children in the audience! I have never seen such graphic and brutal killing and skinning of animals. He then proceeded to show violence against women and other brutality.
Overall it was a really beautiful and unique performance, which truly made an impression. I look forward to seeing more of Shiamak Davar’s productions!