A vibrant Indo-Japanese dance performance comes to Mumbai

New play called Chi Udaka which will be staged in Mumbai on 29th November’16 at JBT, NCPA. This tour of India is sponsored by the Australian Government, the Australia India Council and ArtsNSW. The Mumbai performance is co produced by Synergy Taikoz Ltd and QTP. 

Chi meaning earth in Japanese and Udaka meaning water in Sanskrit, the characteristics of these two elements form the very essence of this multifaceted story narrative and dance performance. Chi Udaka performance brings together the vibrant and earth shattering sounds of Taiko drumming and the mysterious and raw sensuality that celestial water nymphs- known as Apsaras- in Indian mythology exude.  

Chi Udaka is a show that portrays celebrating life in the truest of sense; from the wake of dawn to the noon sunshine to the final serene moment that nightfall brings; the shows structure runs parallel to the structure of an individual day, in which thoughts, moods and emotions are expressed through dance and rhythm.

• Two compelling scenes in the play stand out. Of the Fieldsis one of the most beautiful scenes which is set outdoors in the late afternoon. The stage floor transforms into a circle of dirt which exemplifies both a holy space and an arena- juxtaposing the sacred and the profane. All the dancers and drummers meet in the circle and interact with each other. They gracefully move in and out of each other’s spaces sometimes with a competitive tone and other times playfully.
• The second scene is called Cascading Waterfall which begins with Riley doing a solo performance on his shakuhachi flute. He is possessed by the moment, and being a true master seems unified with his instrument. The sounds are meditative and refreshing much like the title of the scene itself.

Chi Udaka is a co-production between Taikoz and the Lingalayam Indian Classical Dance Company both companies are based in Sydney Australia.

Taikoz and Lingayam have collaborated on this project since 2011. About 20 years ago Lingayam’s artistic director Anandavalli heard Riley Lee- a Shakuhachi Grand Master perform and she was instantly mesmerised by his tunes and of course, his talent. In 2011, Anandavalli, Ian (artistic director of Taikoz) and Riley decided to collaborate with a clear artistic vision and thus Chi Udaka was born. The dance draws elements from Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi while the music is a mix of Wadaiko (Taiko drumming) and Honyoku (Japanese flute).

Event Details:

• ● Show Date: 29th November 2016
• ● Show Time: 7.30pm
• ● Venue: JBT, NCPA
• ● Tickets: Available at NCPA
• ● Ticket Prices: Rs 2000/-, Rs 1600/-, Rs 1200/-, Rs 800/- & Rs 400/-
• ● Trailer of the play  –  https://vimeo.com/131864199
• ● www.taikoz.com for additional information on the company and show