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Taking on Trafalgar Square

Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

Challenging A large performing arena and a moving audience of about 7,000 can be daunting

Jayachandran Palazhy, the brain behind Attakalari, the man who has literally cut across borders with some of his fantastic choreography is on a new high. After his return from London where he performed at the Trafalgar Square says this Bangalore base d Malayali, “We were commissioned to perform by the Mayor’s office. We realised that there it was a big challenge as the venue lacked the luxury of an auditorium or the security of a theatre where we have control of the lights and the space. This space was so huge that instantly I decided that the movements had to be exaggerated, and the costumes had to match too.

“The biggest fear of performing in an open space was that the audience was not confined to stay through the performance. It was a moving crowd of 6,000 to 7,000 people. The venue offered us a space of 100 feet long in length and we had to cover up all that space through movement,” says Jayachandran. For music, he worked with the London based DJ Mukul Dev. The two together visited our City Railway Station, bus stands, and City Market to feel the pulse of the place. “Mukul would wake up early in the morning to record the sound of the azaan from a nearby mosque blended with the early morning traffic,” adds Jayachandran.

Once the audio and the props were fixed, it was time for him to start work on the movements. “Our attempt was to recreate the life on our streets in London. Living in Bangalore is like extending your personal life on to the streets. There is so much drama and chaos around you.”

Jayachandran who uses technology liberally in all his compositions says, “Working for an outdoor space lets you go beyond the physical exterior of the body. It also helped us use larger movements as our space was also larger. Each part of your body connects to larger spaces in the dancer’s mind and the movement is much larger and suggestive. The audience has to decode these shapes in their minds. And dance also will appeal to those who have visual literacy. It was a challenge for the audience too to come out of the safety of the auditorium, so it also gives them a different experience.”

The 25-minute performance had dancers depicting various aspects of Bangalore’s life — like a whole family piled on to one motorbike. “We defy anything here. Bizarre stuff keeps happening all the time, offering you a fragmented experience.” Back in India Jayachandran is basking in the glory, but is not too sure he would like to do such a thing again.

“You have no control over any situation. It did teach me to think differently; to choreograph something that is not predefined.”

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