Forbidden

Aditi Mangaldas
Singtel Waterfront Theatre
Nov 24, 8pm

As an outsider to classical Indian dance forms, it can feel alienating or daunting to watch a full-length work without understanding the intricacies of the messages communicated via mudras (hand gestures) and other body and facial movement cues.

However, with Forbidden, this reviewer’s anxieties prove to be unfounded.

In this solo work in three parts, co-commissioned by the Esplanade for Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts, acclaimed Kathak dancer and choreographer Aditi Mangaldas’ movements themselves are a captivating experience.

The first part, Awakening, erupts in energetic brilliance as her spins in quick succession – a movement characteristic of Kathak – traverse like a whirlwind around the stage.

The next moment, Mangaldas comes to an abrupt stop, without so much as a twitch, demonstrating her awe-inspiring control while creating an impactful opening picture.  

Forbidden addresses a topic that is controversial not just in classical Indian dance, but on stage in general – normalising the sexual desires of women. The dichotomy of virgin versus whore in works of art comes to mind, where women tend to be portrayed as either pure and chaste or as seductive temptresses.

Performing movements and shapes that are both conventionally pretty as well as grotesque, Mangaldas highlights that sexual desires are simply part of being human and, indeed, are part of the beauty of being human.

Throughout the work, the image of ankle bells also dominates.

Departing from the traditional use of ankle bells in classical Indian dance, Mangaldas manipulates several strings of ankle bells in various ways as part of the stage picture.

The transition to the second part, Playing The Game, is particularly memorable. Here, she places the ankle bells in small piles around the stage floor, while the lighting by Michael Hulls darkens the stage except for flickering reddish-orange light on each set of ankle bells, making them look like lava or smouldering embers. 

The imagery of fire and rage continues into the third part, Burning.

Here, the use of English text in small sections of voiceovers helps to further contextualise the work for a more international audience. The choice to include English text only near the end of the work is interesting as it encourages audience members to make their own meanings from the earlier parts of the work first, rather than didactically telling them what to think. 

Presenting a full-length solo work, in a relatively large space like Esplanade’s Singtel Waterfront Theatre, is no easy feat. Mangaldas certainly commands the space with the confidence and presence that one would expect of a dancer of her stature.