INDIAN STORY A LABOUR OF LOVE

INDIA and the Gold Coast will meet centre stage when a trailblazing original work premieres at The Arts Centre Gold Coast next year.

Artistic director Aarti Bajaj, from the Navrasa Dance School in Southport, held auditions yesterday for Meera – an Indian love story she’s adapting into a western contemporary style.

The production, to be performed in English, will feature a cast of 80 to 100 led by Ms Bajaj as Meera.

“We will be bringing so many genres together to stage one beautiful story all about love,” she said.

Ms Bajaj said the colourful work – “an interlude between a theatrical and a musical” – would incorporate dance styles including contemporary, ballet, jazz, Indian classical, Indian contemporary and pole, elaborate costumes and jewellery. and an original soundtrack.

“It’s ambitious,” she said.

“The entire story has been written by me.

“I believe in it and I think it will bring a wider arts audience together. It’s close to my heart.”

She said she hoped the work would “bring together the Gold Coast community and the Indian community”.

“It’s a stage musical style telling of an Indian story, about two different Indias,” Ms Bajaj said.

Meera premieres at The Arts Centre Gold Coast on November 4 next year.