Back to It!

Today we went to Darpana. We started the day off with Yoga. I do love Yoga here. It's definitely not got the body awareness we have in Scotland; the concern over doing your moves right so as not to damage yourself! Instead everyone just does it however they want to and we try to catch what we're meant to be doing by looking around the room at slightly differing poses and the teacher will sometimes demonstrate. It's great fun though. The dancers don't always go every morning, but the musicians always do. Every morning. They're all from South India and most of them have that fashionable slick black moustache seen on many Tamil film stars.

After Yoga I taught silks and Puja was finally able to join in. She is at a very basic beginner level in terms of strength, but can certainly pick up the concept of the moves - wraps in the climbs etc - quite quickly. I think now I know everyone's level so I can try to structure classes as much as possible. Unfortunately, everyone turns up at different times and not always every day so although the material I'm teaching is the same they're all at different stages so I've found myself occasionally teaching three different things at the same time trying to keep my eyes on everyone. My students are mainly Papin and Puja so I will definitely focus on them more, but another dancer, Charmi, showed up today so I could have more people. Who knows? Things can seem to take a long long time to get done and so I just have to get into a relaxed attitude.

This is Kim's first solo project and because it can be sometimes chaotic here Indira and I are taking our own sections for the resulting 5 minute film to try and take some stress off her hands. She has enough to do as it is. Indira is choreographing a small solo piece and a Bharatnatyam piece with Sonal. I'm going to choreograph a small solo piece on silks and then work with the dancers, mainly Papin and Puja, to try to teach them some simple nice moves that can be put into an easy routine which they can jazz up with fancy pancy dancer moves! That's the advantage of working with dancers; they can see how technique can transgress into choreography.

Indira and I met an American girl who's teaching juggling to slum kids which was pretty cool. We'd actually seen her at Gandhi's Ashram a couple of days earlier, looking a little out of her depth as she tried to teach handstands to a group of wild children in a concrete playground. She had no concept of spotting at all, letting the children leap into a handstand and fall, crack, on their backs! Then she demonstrated and it was a major "banana" handstand which my friends at home keep telling me that is no good!

Banana Handstand

I think it's not good for your back, but I can't actually remember why you shouldn't banana...

Good Handstand

either way I'm terrible at holding handstands in any respect so I probably shouldn't criticise. We learnt when we met her later though that she's only arrived that very day so that explains the lost look she had!!

There's French girl here called Elsa who's a costume designer. She's been here since December working on some of the shows that were on in the Vikram Sarabhai festival. She stayed on after to write her thesis and is interviewing women around Gujarat about their dress as there's so much history in their clothes. In one area, I think in Gandhinagar just outside Ahmadabad, a woman embroiders different patterns and images onto her skirt for each thing that happens to her, so just by looking at her clothing you can tell if she's married. widowed, has children, how many, what gender, etc...pretty cool. She's totally wonderful, very French! She has a great sense of style, smokes a lot and has a wonderful way of expressing herself. I'm very glad to have met her! She's here until the week before I go so I will definitely see her more before the trip is over.

Now then, I think I should go and practice my handstands...

Kankaria Lake

I'm eating my second lunch of leftover spaghetti after an initial one of masala dosa. It's pretty hard to not have spaghetti for a month as I have a slightly serious addiction to it and it's not exactly something that Guarati's do best. Fortunately, we have out own kitchen and made enough tasty (but not quite as good as at home) spaghetti that I could have a whole extra portion of it today. Yum. But not before having a scrumption masala dosa first. I absolutely love them!

Today was our day off. We went to Kankaria Lake, somewhere I'd never been to before, but it was in the guide book and we thought we'd do something new. It is sort of like a theme park. The guide book said it was a lovely place for a promenade around a calm and peaceful lake; an escape from the city. It was in fact a place to entertain your children on a family day out with rides and a zoo and an aquarium all surrounding a big lake in the centre filled with boats and pedalos. In the centre of the lake there's an island which you can walk to, and in the evening you can see the musical fountian in action! It was certainly not peaceful. We were a little disappointed that the pedalos were closed and the hot air balloon wasn't functioning due to the strong winds, so there wasn't too much that we could actually do, but we thought we'd make the most of having a relaxing walk. The "relaxing" walk turned into more of a parade as we were gawped and pointed at, in the same way as we usually are, but in a confined area. Like we were an additional attraction to the usual fun activities. The pedalo replacement. Lots and lots of people came up to take our photo, show us to their children and shake our hands; asking "from which country" and also for our good name. My name seems to be unpronouncable in far too many countries...

We decided not to visit the zoo for fear it may be a little bit depressing, but we did visit the aquarium. I say aquarium, it was more like a collection of fish tanks with exciting fish such as goldfish, some of which were dead!

We ended our day there by taking the train around the park. This only exaggerated the feeling of being on show as we were now suddenly trapped in a carriage, looking out of the window, unable to escape and stationary for the first few minutes before the train departed, allowing the public plenty of time to film us on their phones, shake our hands and talk to us about anything they felt like. It was very odd. There were 3 male students sharing our carriage. One of them laughed at the people coming up to us and asking to take our photo, saying that they think we're celebrities just because we're white. He then talked to us while the train went around the lake, telling us about his studies etc. When we arrived back at the starting point, he turned to us and asked us for a photo! After he'd been slagging off everyone else for wanting one. Of course I said no, despite his whining please's, and we left him disappointed. Such is the life of a celebrity I suppose! You can't please them all....

Stomach becoming normal...

You'll be pleased to hear that I'm much better. I never really got worse than how I described my previous state which is brilliant. We went to Darpana in the evening to work there in the dark and played with the shadow puppets. They're old and very beautiful, but in terrible condition. Years of storage, with no use at all. We experimented with a few things, then came back to have some food. Indira didn't eat, she still isn't feeling well, but did join us eventually after a nap. We then watched a creepy movie called Gaslight with Ingrid Bergman.

It's odd. I'm getting confused with things I write in my diary, my blogs and my emails. Sometimes I feel as if I'm repeating myself because there is much to say and I get confused as to what I have and haven't said!

We went to work this morning, but Puja was still not there as she's ill so I kept working with Papin, slowly teaching him some of the things that I know. I haven't got a huge repertoire, but I'm managing to find some things that I can teach him. I got to play around on my own a bit as well and was challenged with improvising to the live musicians. They area amazing! They know each other so well and have worked with each other a lot, so can completely follow where the other goes and synch together perfectly. That was very fun! I also met Anahita's (she's the daughter of Mallika Sarabhai) girlfriend, Larissa, who was practicing handstands so I've got a potential handstand training partner which is awesome! Although she's currently studying Ayuervedic cooking somewhere so isn't really around, but I do find it so hard to motivate myself to practice handstands on my own. I desperately want to be able to hold one completely on my own, without fail, or at least save myself, before I get back. Every time I seem close I take two steps back. Why do I find them so difficult?!

We went back to Teen Darwaja today. I've seen a gazillion monkeys both at the market, sitting on top of the shelters on the stalls, and here in the retreat. We turned the corner to our house and there was a mass of monkeys it was a little bit intimidating. They really don't like it if you look at them either...! At Teen Darwaja we all bought a ton of beautiful fabric from Gamti Wallah, who have a lot of block printed fabric, to make things. They have such beautiful things here! Now I just need to decide what to make with it all...

Day 3 1/2

It certainly feels like I've been here longer than 3 or 4 days. Mainly because it feels like so much has already happeneed; it's been so overwhelming!!

I'm currently sitting on our little "porch" area in the Retreat, in amongst the shade of the trees and the sun, surrounded by bird noise. Two peacocks with their oversized tails and tiny little heads strutted by me on the wall. Yesterday I saw a monkey here.

I'm feeling a little bit dodgy in the stomach area so trying my best to keep my spirits up and manage the local food. Both Indira and I have been feeling a bit funny and there have been outcomes to that feeling which I won't go into at this stage! At first we thought it was just our stomachs getting used to the food until we realised we'd been stupidly brushing our teeth with tap water! I thought for some reason we did that last time we were here, but apparently not...it's so obvious, but I didn't even think about it really. So I'm hoping this is the worst I get and we've both taken tablets. Arg! I'm currently preferring to be horizontal at the moment! I'm not letting my body get any worse though - only better from now on!

I still managed to do an hour and a half of silks today. Puja wasn't able to make it, apparently she's also been unwell, so it was just me and Papin again. He really likes getting everything right the first time and sometimes finds it frustrating when he doesn't. I think he's used to being the teacher. Of course he's keen on working with what he already knows, and is desperate to choreograph a routine with the cocoon from footlock. I think that will be a great starting point, but I really want to teach him more technique so we can have a bigger base for choreography. I really want Puja to turn up. I have no idea what her level is, but I've heard so many positive things about her that I'm very excited. Even if she's a basic beginner, she may have a natural ability to pick things up. Papin is incredibly strong though, so even if it's taking him some time (which it naturally would for anyone) to get his head around being upside down and the shapes he's putting his body in, he has the strength to hold himself and, importantly, save himself from any mistakes he might make.

Working in India is quite different from working in the UK. You definitely need to have a degree of patience. Not let it bother you if things don't immediately go to plan. The Darpana Company can sometimes be a little all over the place; not turning up at the same time, sometimes not at all and often working on an entirely different project which we don't find out about until it clashes with when we're meant to be rehearsing. But, it was all expected. And when they are around it's great as they're excellent to work with. Today we had Papin, Manoj and Sonal. She's choreographing a bharatnatyam routine with Indira.' We worked with Kim, playing around with some ideas, some images.

This evening we'll work with the shadow puppets, or at least get a sense of how the lighting will work for them as Mallika Sarabhai is going to teach us how to work them properly, with the foot work, on Monday.

This city is so polluted and dusty. The roads are like a filthy desert. The traffic is insane; all over the place. The cars, mopeds and rickshaws use the 'honking horn' method which basically means they can drive in any direction on any side of the road at any speed and with as many people on one seat as possible as long as they honk their horns. It's also not a walking city. Rickshaws are generally between 25 and 70 rupees to get to most places we need to go to and it's 80 rupees to a pound! Also, the pavements are often used as toilets so it's best to walk on the road anyway if you're going to walk. Crossing the road is also something you need to get used to. You just have to look for a relative space, it's easier with rickshaws and mopeds (wait for the trucks, buses and cars to pass) and go. once you go you can't hesitate and the traffic should just move around you.

To get to the theatre you turn off the main road and go along a smaller, quieter road which bends round to the left. The entrance of the road is lined with stalls; chai wallahs and others selling sweets and tobacco. My favourite is at the corner a little further on. It's, I suppose, a barber. A small square wooden shack with Gujarati writing on a painted sign above it. The doors open to reveal enough space for one single chair sat opposite a mirror and a shelf on either side holding all the necessary hair cutting and shaving equipment. Bollywood style music plays from a little radio on the side. I haven't taken a photo of it yet, but I will!

More animal sightings - I saw a camel on the road today! I also saw a horse pulling a very elegant carriage. It's wedding season at the moment so you can't move for drumming, decorated horses and general merriment or party preperation.

Day One

Today was our first day of work. A working day consists of 8.30-9.30 Yoga then a chai break, then 10 until lunch working with the Director. As the show format has changed it's all been
a little all over the place in terms of what is required of us, but we're quickly getting a better idea of what we're meant to be doing. The Darpana dancers' focus is also not always completely fixed on the project as it's so far away (2013) and they have so many other things they are working on so this makes them very hard to pin down! However, they're brilliant to work with, lovely people and great fun, so it's currently very relaxed. So from 10-1 we did various drama exercises and I worked a bit on the silks today with Papin (Puja, who also does silks, will be back on Friday). Before I came to Darpana I was under the impression that Papin, who performed using silks in Tim Supple's Midsummer Night's Dream knew a lot but it turns out his knowledge of actual aerial silks is very basic and he was expecting me to teach him which was a little daunting! I came expecting to learn and not to teach. However, even if I can't learn aerial technique I can certainly learn the ability to turn what I know into a dance from working with him; he's an incredible dancer.

In 30 mins I rattled through a few things, but it was a bit all over the place due to my lack of preperation and time, so on Friday I want to have a fixed hour with him (and hopefully Puja and another dancer Manoj) doing conditioning then sharing a couple of moves and then stretching. I have a feeling Puja will be of the same level as Papin, but I'll be happy if she knows more as I didn't expect to be seen as a teacher. Manoj has done a hoop piece and is interested in silks and he will be great to work with too. They also have a hoop they want to rig up so I'm pretty excited about going on that and I think it will help with conditioning as sometimes moving straight to silks can be a little bit difficult.

Indira and I went to the market today. It's called Teen Dalwaja which means three gates. It's not specifically a food one, but sells pretty much everything else. It was MAD! Everywhere you go it's "Hi", "Hello M'am. What do you want?" (as if whatever it is they'll have it) "From what country?" "Hi, Hello, How are you...." etc etc etc. Indira and I are getting a LOT of attention being young, white, blond and female.

It's exhausting.

The family who stay next to our house that "looks after us" are
the Gardener and his wife, Kumari, and their 3 children who are 15 (Rahul), 11 (Keiran) and 8 (Rohan). Rohan sits with us every evening as he's learning english at school, colouring or playing with his sticker book. The family have been here since I came the first time. Darpana have paid Kumari extra to cook for us so most nights, unless we want something other than food, we have her cooking. And she makes us chai. It's a bit odd, but quite nice after a full on day which is every day so far...but it is only day 2 or full day 1.

Arrived

I've FINALLY arrived in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India!

Fellow performer and bhartnatyam dancer Indira Kemp and I arrived here at 8.20 which was 7 1/2 hours ago now and nearly 24 hours after I left Scotland so I am very very tired..!! We were gratefully picked up from the airport which was crazy, especially after such a long journey - Glasgow - Dubai, Dubai - Ahmedabad. The luggage carousel had just stopped working and immediately I knew I wasn't in the UK. Rather than wait for it to start working again everyone just decided to just go into the back over the carousel and get it themselves; hurling luggage at whoever claimed it. Brilliant. Despite my exhaustion I smiled and felt very glad to be back in India. I was particularly glad that we were picked up because it's only really beginning to sink in now that I'm actually here. India. WHAT?!!!??!!!! I can't quite believe it...my head was left in yesterday all morning and my brain is only beginning to catch up now.

We were taken to The Retreat which is a selection of houses in this haven from the city owned by the Sarabhi family. They're grand old school houses and we have the gardener, his wife and family here who look after us; cook if we want them to and do our washing. No heating or fancy/ nice bathrooms, dusty windows and bird poo everywhere. It's a beautiful house. The streets outside are heaving with people, rickshaws, cars, cows, camels and I even saw an elephant on the dual carriage-way underpass, but when you step inside the Retreat you enter a dirt path surrounded by green trees and bushes and lots and lots of peacocks. The noise of the street is left behind, replaced by the chorus of birds. It's so beautiful and I'm trying to take as many pictures as I can, but I only wish there was a way I coud capture the sounds. The smells. Like nothing else on earth. We went to the theatre after having a quick shower and saw the dancers who I mostly remember from the last time I was here. The stage is an open air theatre. The seats are huge concrete steps overflowing with ants. At the top of the seats, right at the back, you overlook the river. And a set of red silks hung at the back of the stage. SO EXCITING!!!! I can't wait to train with Papin (brilliant dancer) and Puja who I haven't met but she comes back on Friday and is apparently amazing at silks. When we arrived at the theatre Indira and I hadn't slept for more than 24 hours and at this point we were fading fast. We had a quick lunch, a masala dosa and some chai (YUM) and were told us about how much the project's developments have changed since the Director, Kim Bergsagl, has been here (December).

The main focus of the show will be the same: Amrita Devhi's story about her hugging the tree and saving the forest. But Kim doesn't want to portray India as completely traditional as she's been shocked on her arrival here of how much old trades are being lost as the young ones in the family aren't interested in passing it on. There's much more she wants to touch upon; traditions, western and Indian culture (comparing the harris tweed industry to looming here), the environment and other things which are very very loosely related to the original idea. I'm not sure how it's going to work so I guess we'll have to see what happens when we start on it tomorrow. There have also been other developments as well in terms of funding and planning. Mallika Sarabhi, who owns Darpana Dance Company, is going to co-produce the show so she will be handling the British Council side of things over here which takes a huge amount out of mums hands in a positive way I think. In exchange we are going to use two from her theatre company instead of 1 (so maybe in total there will be 2 aerialists). She's also interested in putting on the show at the Vikram Sarabhi Festival (a festival dedicated to her father, Mrinalini's husband - she is a very great and famous bharatnatyam dancer who everyone calles Amma which means mother and you bow and touch her feet when you see her). The festival is on in December which means if this goes ahead I'll be coming back to India in the beginning-middle of November!

This project could be kicking off in India then going to Manipulate Festival in Scotland before touring in 2013! Who knows?? I still haven't slept and it's a lot to think about.

It's quite different here and yet the same. The smell as soon as we stepped off the plane was India. The madness of the disorganised system was India. The traffic, the looks, the constant horn honking and wreckless driving was totally India. But, then there's much less hassle. The beggar kids who come up to your rickshaw as you sit in traffic and pinch your leg and hit you so you can't ignore them are almost gone. The shanty huts by the side of the river are gone. Where have these people gone to? I can't lie and say I miss this particular sort of hassle, but it's disconcerting when they make people disappear. It's a very western way of dealing with poverty...just because we can't see them anymore doesnt mean they're not there. And there's a lot more western clothing. I don't exactly blend in though...the bleached blond hair doesn't help.

After each rickshaw drive my heart is pounding. This place is beautiful in all of it's crumbling, bright colours, people staring, people waving, wearing amazing clothes and offering amazing food and drink.

When I was first here I was 10; my parents were making a television show with puppets, my brother and I went to school here surrounded by monkeys and it was a huge, amazing, very different place.

Then I was 18. I had just left school and was on my way to university. It was the start of a world ticket trip with my family again; taking a shadow puppet version of the Tempest from India to Japan. I was a teenager. There was now a cinema in town.

Now I'm 25. An adult. My mother is the director of Embrace so I've still not left the nest quite yet. But, this place is different, I'm different, and yet so much is so familiar.

Embrace

In March 2012 I went to India for one month, support by Creative Scotland Professional Development Fund, to work on a project called Embrace. With the backdrop of the incredible true story of Amrita Devi and the woman of the Chipko movement, it tells the story of a young Scottish girl, disillusioned by the world we live in, going to India in the hope to find inspiration, only to discover their trades are also dying, their culture also being lost to westernisation. But, with the help of a girl she meets there and inspired by the women before her, she begins to celebrate what they do have and try to encourage the world not to lost these skills, these wonderful crafts, that so few people now possess and that the environmental future of our world depends on.

The story will be told through bhartnatyam dance, shadow puppetry and aerial dance. I am half way through my adventures in India. This is my story...