The performers of ‘Seven: the seeker, the thinker’, a contemporary dance choreographed by Umeshi Rajeendra, talk about the challenges of stepping out of their comfort zone of structured dance forms to one that is emotionally demanding as well
Dramatic and ominoussounding music that probably belongs on the soundtrack of a dystopian movie plays and the dancers, all in black, move as if the music is possessing them and flowing through their bodies. Ten minutes go by. We see the exertion on their faces, but there is no break. We are enthralled, our senses overloaded and for a moment we forget we are here to interview the cast of “Seven: the seeker, the thinker”.
A contemporary dance performance by Mesh Academy of Dance, the show on November 10, 11 and 12, is a collaboration with the Department of Drama, Oriental Ballet and Contemporary Dance of the University of Visual and Performance Arts. Choreographed by founder and artistic director of the Mesh Academy of Dance Umeshi Rajeendra, ‘Seven’ explores the concept of the number through three performance items.
Unlike the more structured dance forms like ballet, Kandyan and Latin dance, from which backgrounds most of her students are from, contemporary dance requires its performers to dig deep and express emotions that come from within. “You invest yourself in it. It’s a very personal journey for the dancer,” explains Aby Brochard of the Mesh Academy. “There’s a lot of self-exploration, about myself and my body,” says Roshni Gunaratne alluding to the fact that it demands more from the body and the mind of the dancer than the more formal dance forms do. “It’s more than just steps to music. It pushes you to find a way to connect,”