The Stage

Play Ball

Published Friday 8 February 2008 at 17:15 by Thom Dibdin

Football and laddishness are the latest elements of contemporary culture to which Nina Rajarani has applied the classical South Asian dance of Bharatanatyam - with its natural accompaniment, Karnatic music. Such a philosophy, of applying the traditional to the contemporary, can work very well. As is proved by the award-winning Quick!, which concludes this trio of works, with its flamboyant expression of modern office life.

The portrayal of football in art is a far more tricky business. In Bend It, Rajarani gets plenty of the twists right - with such nice touches as the four male dancers, led by Sooraj Subramaniam, and for musicians, led by composer and vocalist Y Yadavan, warming up on stage before the start. Or Bhakti Raval coming on in a peacock costume during the game’s half time.

Trading the graceful and robust moves of Bharatanatyam between the dancers certainly provides a fitting representation of the actions of lads on a Sunday league game down the park. Everything from the facing off between teams to scoring and celebrating goals is there. But at times it is too literal in its representation and so appears more like play acting than dance.

Much more successful is the second new work, Chemistry - a mixed duet performed by Subramaniam and Raval. It catches the different feelings and attitudes of two lovers as they make up after a tiff. And with the amplification of the Karnatic music applied with particular emphasis to the bass tones, this has a truly thrilling and emotional edge.