‘Art creates beauty in a world that is broken’

On Monday evening, the Kalakshetra Foundation will play host to a rather different and unique dance presentation. Titled Sangamam: The Conflu ence , and presented by the US Consulate General Chennai in association with the Kalakshetra Foundation, the performance will have Daniel Phoenix Singh showcasing his signature fusion of Bharatanatyam and contemporary dance exploring themes including gender violence, love and the cost of war. 

US-based Daniel’s choreography takes the filigree-like details of rhythms and hand gestures and layers them onto the sweeping dynamics of modern dance and group dynamics.  “My performances are inspired by themes from our traditional mythologies, contemporary issues and sister artists. And my dancers themselves inspire my choreography. Often, a small movement or gesture they make becomes a seed for a whole presentation. My dancers are my principal and ever present inspiration. My primary concern is to make dance accessible to audiences while keeping the grammar and foundation of each form absolutely in the spirit that it was codified. 

Working through a broad palette helps me have all the colours of the different dance styles available as we paint the stage with movement,” begins Daniel. Daniel, who is the Artistic Director and President of dance company Dakshina, offers artists and communities the unique opportunity to experience dance as a movement that links the art, culture, and social causes. A member of the LGBTQ+ community, queer sensibilities inform his work in several ways. 

“The work of bringing respect and dignity to the LGBT, Adi vasis, women, or any of the oppressed communities whether in South Asia or elsewhere is a collective responsibility. We cannot ask the already oppressed to do extra work to get their rightful respect and dignity. 

However, I do realise that artists also have a responsibility to address the issues of the times they live in. I do my part by doing gender-neutral casting so that at times the same duet is performed by a male/ male or female/female or female/male couple. By taking dance into the community, we bridge the divide that the privileged have created between who has access to the arts and who doesn’t,” explains Daniel, who recently collaborated with two queer poets in DC to produce Mortal Tongues, Immortal Stories — a multimedia work that celebrates poetry and bears witness to the lives of writers who died of AIDS. He is also coming up with a project titled Sanctu ary that looks at the issues of undocumented immigrants in USA. 

Daniel strongly believes that art is one of the few avenues that still allow introspection and self-reflection serving as a tool crucial in moving forward as a society. “But, unfortunately, art is not recognised enough in our schools and social fabric. So, we need the financial backing from governments and the infrastructure in place to make art an integral part of education and society. If you want to save 1 crore rupees, the challenge will be more manageable if you start when you’re a child and continue for 30 years. But if I ask you to save the same amount from age 20-30 the challenge is exponential. Similarly, arts are an investment in our children and our democracy. But as I mentioned earlier, everyone has to do their part. 

Democracy functions only when everyone participates,” elaborates Daniel, who will also be doing a hip hop workshop with The Swingers Dance Company in the city on November 22. He concludes by saying, “Art creates beauty in a world that is broken and hurting by asking questions about issues and encouraging communities to consider their part in the solution, and finally connecting human to human in a way that is not possible outside the discipline of the arts.”