'Kindling': a lasting memory of a multicultural performance

B.C. Khuman *

Kindling - a multicultural performance concept by Shaked Dagan at Iboyaima Sumang Lila Sanglen on 19 June, 2013
Pix - Denial Chabungbam

Kindling ! without mincing words, it really kindled our hearts. The last parts of this multicultural performance still haunt me.

Seven of them. Seven young female dancers from Israel, Denmark, Canada and the USA. The numeral 'seven' is in Manipuri culture a symbol of powerfulness, mystery, integrity, mystique and divinity of course. I found the seven young dancers who were within the range of 25 to 33 years of age, energetic, determined, clear-headed, dedicated and committed. Their message is powerfully conveyed through 'Kindling'. They are a powerful team so to say. Their simplicity, sociableness and sincerity has appealed me when I briefly encountered them a few days before the performance at some particular spot in Imphal where a culture-oriented workshop was going on.

But it still remains a mystery to me why these talented young female dancers don't care to give a name to themselves for the general public or the press to identify them by. Eccentric, isn't it ? After all they are seven, the mysterious number !

Here I am bound to write about the last three sequences of the performance text of 'Kindling', for these were the only portions I happened to see. Despite my regret at having missed most of the performance, I feel relieved that I was able to see the most beautiful parts and at the same time the most important part of the performance. After all the ending is always the most essential part in a performance art, isn't it so ?

The last parts of 'Kindling' were thoughtfully conceived, skillfully enacted and adroitly performed. The Sumang Leela Sanglen of Imphal legitimately transported us to a new world of experience in the afternoon of the 19th June, 2013, inciting us to contemplate and rediscover ourselves, inspiring us to move foreword with a positive frame of mind.

'Kindling', a multicultural performance, its concept and design done by Shaked Dagan of Israel, deals with a contemporary theme that has a universal appeal, centering round the theme of women empowerment and gender equality.

In contemporary discourse the phrase 'women empowerment' a relativity newer term than feminism, gives more stress on the exclusivity of the programs for emancipating women rather than critiquing their male counterparts or the male-centric establishments, while 'gender equality' also implies the kind of activitism that seeks to improve the lot of womenfolk in many respects so as to elevate them at par with their male counterparts, and the subsequent dismissal of gender bias in the prevailing societal norms, without bothering to attack their opponents. That was what Elaine Showalter always pleaded for as a strategy to emancipate women.

The last three sequence which I call
(a) the awakening-dance sequence,
(b) the distribution of water sequence and
(c) the laundering sequence
respectively were really striking, making you unable to wipe them out easily from your memory.

In the awakening-dance sequence, all of them were on the stage, but only a single member was dancing with her eyes closed, while the rest of them were simply giving her a helping hand to enable her gain self-confidence. In the 'sharing of water sequence', they shared water among themselves, by passing the water from hand to hard i.e., pouring it into the basin held by her neighbor.

And in the laundering sequence, each of them starts washing the piece of cloth held in her two hands, making a boisterous scene out of it, by soaking it extraneously into the laundering basin before rinsing it energetically and squeezing it to dry up hilariously, following the rhythm of music all through these acts. In doing so they allow themselves move fast and freely, almost floating like a liberated soul, practically covering the entire stage, making thereby an impression of hundreds of thousands of women taking part in it.

To start with the awakening-dance sequence : the lone dancer (with her eyes closed) was dancing, gaining momentum gradually with the help of the others who aided her cautiously and lovingly. Gradually the stage turned into a playfield with a vibrant mood spreading over it. The lone dancer was dancing are way to ecstasy. Keeping her eyes closed.

What is the significance of the closed eyes in this context ? Eyesight denied or prevented or deprived of ! That means free movement denied or deprived of ! Closed eyes then could symbolize limited knowledge and stunted skill, short-sightedness, lack of privilege, deprival of certain fundamental rights etc. These are the imposed restrictions being suffered by women everywhere, aren't they ?

In the laundering sequence, the washing act starts initially in a boisterous manner. They enjoy the job extremely, their hearts filled with confidence. Fast and loud music add to the prevalent mood of joyfulness and confidence.

The change-over from the previous sequence (sharing of water) to this one (laundering) was marked by a sudden change of movements, accompanied by the music. From sublimity to boisterousness. At this moment they looked like children, playing happily. I couldn't help imagining myself to be a part of the game, joining them on the stage vicariously. All the audience were in the same mood, I'm sure.

Well, what could be the metaphorical significance of this washing act ? After all washing what ? The answer is simple but a crucial one. The old habits, the outdated thinking, the conventional attitudes and the suppressed instincts do need to undergo a qualitative today, therefore they need to be rejuvenated or 'washed' to give a new lease of life. Just as we wash old rags.

Throughout the performance the performers wore red-coloured dresses. Do they symbolize a revolutionary spirit ? May be they do.

Without any external help, dancing with closed eyes is next to impossible. It is a subtle metaphor of helping hands, extendable toward lone sufferers of the same sex all over the world to awaken them, stimulate them, make them come foreword confidently and help them assert themselves without fear and thus enable them to create a space of their own.

Water-sharing sequence was even more expressive. It symbolises the sharing or exchange of ideas and emotions before coming to a common agenda and resolution, by means of mutual love, affection and solidarity, symbolized by 'water.' Real water on the stage ! Natural water as a stage prop ! Not even using improvisation, to artistically represent water. The effect was obvious.

The feeling of freshness, liveliness, cool and even of scent of fresh water was easily transported to us when we saw it before our own eyes on the stage cascading through the open air. A multiple meaning could be extracted from the symbol of water, which is also known to be the giver of life. Water is after all a symbol of purity. In the performance text it stands for purity of heart, purity of mind, purity of attitude and purity of action.

I simply loved these sequences both for their formal structures and the thought content, the ideas and the substances, the tone and the rhythm. Even the nuances created by the local variety of chilly chewed by the characters while sharing food relishingly amongst themselves added perfectly to the wholesome effect. This particular act was a fine innovation, suggestive of the solidarity among the women of different cultures. How the audience joyfully burst out smiling at this unexpected sight as they easily digested the import of this small and meaningful act.

Structurally, a great deal of balancing technique was also observed by this writer in the performance. For example theatrical elements were inserted in between the sequences dominated by dance and body language. The theatrical elements served as a means of tension release, monotony erasure as well as a device to experiment with the fusion of different art forms.

'Kindling' had a strong message, capable of giving us a deep impact. The message was loud and clear – women should be made aware of their problems and issues confronting themselves, the degree and dimension of their suffering; and most importantly women should come foreword to assert themselves, tell their own stories to the world outside and be prepared to unite themselves and work together, helping the less privileged, the less educated, the less articulated, and the more unfortunate ones to join their movement hopefully. In a piece of art the theme may be an ordinary one, the message a common one, but what matters in an artistic presentation is its textures woven through the formal structure and the nuances it evokes through its aesthetics. 'Kindling' was a successful performance in these respects.

Sobriety was a hall-mark of the performance. There was no mud-slinging attitude and hatred towards men. Not much inclined to the matrix of gender politics. Instead, more attention was given to women-centric issues, with an echo of optimistic note, which is the real worth of the underlying message.

The team of 'Kindling' led by Shaked Dagan, including the two cameramen, are so young and so vibrant ! Already they had given three performances in India before their arrival in Imphal – two in Himachal Pradesh, one in Kolkata; and by the time of this reporting two performances are due in Delhi on their way back home. We wish them great success everywhere they go to as messengers of better life.

The Imphal-based cultural organization 'The Giving Tree' and especially its Programme Arranger Mr. Surjit deserve a big congratulation for the success of the programme in Imphal despite lean audience and poor advertisement. He must have taken great pains in bringing 'Kindling' to Imphal from abroad. It was indeed a rare gift to the art lovers of Imphal. 'Kindling' will always be remembered as a unique experience that would remain long in our memory both as a piece of art and a piece of urgent message as well.