Jul 07 2023 to Jul 07 2023 7 p.m.

EVENT HAS ENDED

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

The Endless Mind is an abstract dance and musical exploration of Annamacharya’s 15th century metaphysical poem ‘kadal udipi neeradaga…’ (You say you want to bathe when the waves subside/Is there an end to the endless mind?). Choreographed by Aranyani and danced by 6 Vyuti dancers including Aranyani, this 50-minute work depicts the narrative of the poetry through the abstraction and deconstruction within Bharatanatyam. The poem reads like this – You say you want to bathe when the waves subside Is there an end to the endless mind? You say “Let me first quench my thirst, then I’ll find the truth” Why should thirst be quenched? How can you know truth? You say you’ll bathe when the waves subside Is there an end to the endless mind? All these days, you have a body Why should longing cease? How can you find joy? You say you’ll bathe when the waves subside Is there an end to the endless mind? You say “After I know what lies ahead, then I’ll forget what was before” Can you know what lies ahead? How can you forget what was before? You say you’ll bathe when the waves subside Is there an end to the endless mind? That goodness that comes from knowing how to reach god You won’t find it in your wildest dreams. Is there an end to the endless mind? Is there an end? Is there an end? Is there an end? Aranyani came across this poetry in the book ‘God on the Hill: Temple Poems from Tirupati’ (Translated by David Shulman and V Narayana Rao, Oxford University Press, 2005). In the preface of God on the Hill, Shulman and Rao write that the adhyatma poems are “sung in the poet’s own voice and deal with his sense of himself as an agonised, turbulent human being in relation to the god he worships”. They also write that these poems “explore and articulate a wide range of human experience. In that sense, they are universal poems that speak to all of us.” Shulman and Rao explain that “the ocean, like the mind, never really subsides. There is no end. We can imagine the dialogue continuing forever in [the] spiralling cycles…”. The poem has both a meditative quality and reflects a restlessness – the poet’s persistent questions, his mind negotiating and renegotiating with itself, and interrogating himself. The poet lays out conditions in a ‘first I’ll do this, then I’ll know that’ way and then ridicules those very conditions. Underlying this internal dialogue, consisting of introspective questions and retrospective answers, is the beautiful image of the ocean. Like the poetry, the choreography is meditative. Yet, it also has undertones of restlessness. It internalises and utilises the Vyuti philosophy of going beyond the tradition-modernity binary and builds upon a strong and firm foundation of a long, deeply immersive training in, understanding of and professional performing experience of the Bharatanatyam vocabulary as well as exposure to modern and contemporary dance. This production premiered at the G5A Warehouse, Mumbai in April 2023. The music has been composed by ‘Fragment of Light’, which is a duo that explores musical compositions and ambient landscapes. It can be broadly classified as ambient drone music inspired by Brian Eno and Pandit Pran Nath. Fragment of Light consists of Ganesh Krishnaswamy (Bevar Sea, Kryptos, Megadrone) and Leslie Charles (Thermal And A Quarter, Megadrone, and a renowned producer). The music for ‘The Endless Mind’ is different to what traditional Bharatanatyam typically accompanies – it is not lyrical, but mood-based and abstract. The ambient, drone-like music is inspired by various musical traditions from around the world. Academic support for the translation and understanding of the poetry is given by Professor David Shulman, who translated these padams along with V Narayana Rao in the book ‘God on the Hill: Temple Poems of Tirupati’. The dance, music, light and poetry come together with a common vision and understanding to explicate the deeply introspective and philosophical musings of the reflective poet Annamacharya on the internal conflicts and restlessness within the mind. Credits: Concept, Choreography and Direction – Aranyani Bhargav Performed by – Akshata Joshi, Aranyani, Gayatri Shetty, Rohee Uberoi, Ronita Mookerji and Seher Noor Mehra Music – Fragment of Light (Ganesh Krishnaswamy and Leslie Charles) Lights – Deepa Dharmadhikari Academic support – Prof. David Shulman Produced by G5A Forum and BNP Paribas Supported by Prakriti Foundation