Tryst with truth

This Sunday, German choreographer Ben J Riepe contemplates the beauty and ugliness of love, death and the devil

It is a dance composition revealing the glory and viciousness of the three dominating forces of human life. It moves beyond the conventional concept of beauty and ugliness and breaks the thin line between them.
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"It is about these three things, which deal with feelings of human life. It shows how things happen both beautifully and terribly," says Ben J Riepe.u00a0

But Riepe refuses to label the piece as dance-drama or dance-theatre or a stage performance. "It is hard to categorise the work. It deals with beauty as well as the terribleness of it," he says.

The choreography with no real storyline has sharp as well as subtle movements. It breaks the traditional parameters of psychology, narration and the conventions of contemporary dance. But it forms an enchanting and mystifying parade of pictures with an understated message.u00a0

"I think most of the time art is a mirror. It is not a spoken language. This is also something that mirrors yourself, the society, the present and the moment," says Ben.

The recital begins with the six dancers entering the stage representing the truths of human predicament love, death and devil. All the participating dancers are trained in various techniques like modern, contemporary and ballet. But this particular production does not adhere to any particular skill and presents an independent style.
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"This dance is all about developing our own language to control the body," says Ben.

This production meant for 18 years, however, brings in a whole set of aesthetic and ghastly images probably to signify the magnificence and ugliness of love, death and devil.u00a0

"Images are always very important to me. These images have three dimensions time, space and movement," says Ben.

The concert is precise in matters of lights, designs and costumes. Anna Kleihues has designed the baroque outfits, a style of art which was prevalent in Europe from 1600s. "I am very inspired by art and films. So it is very obvious that in my work light and music is as important as dance and design," feels Ben.

However, despite so much involvement with the piece, Ben leaves it on the audience to interpret it the way they prefer. "I want to give the audience an opportunity to find their own logic in it. You can read it the way you want to," says Ben. "I leave the decision and freedom with them to feel."
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At Ranga Shankara
On November 29, 7.30 pm
Call 2649 3982
Ticket Rs 200

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